Peacock’s Mrs. Davis: A Vibrant and Risky Take on the Future of AI
Many people are concerned about the rapid growth and adoption of AI technology. While it poses a threat to jobs, it also has the potential to create an existential threat, as Elon Musk often discusses. Science fiction has been warning about the dangers of AI since its inception. However, the criticism often fails to consider the numerous benefits that it provides. It is important to carefully examine any new technology before jumping to conclusions about its impact.
The show Mrs. Davis, executive produced by Damon Lindelof and created by Tara Hernandez, explores the promises and pitfalls of AI through its main character. The show may be messy and confusing at times, but it is also incredibly engaging and enjoyable.
To describe the show to friends, I say that it feels like a good adaptation of Preacher directed by the Coen Brothers. It has a vibrant and lush aesthetic, with a rhythm reminiscent of Raising Arizona or Hudsucker Proxy. While it may seem like just a show about a nun trying to destroy an AI, it is much more than that. Like Preacher, Mrs. Davis focuses on characters with deep faith who come from backgrounds that often lead to atheism. Additionally, it is a road trip story where the locations are just as important as the characters on the journey.
The show’s protagonist, Simone, is a nun portrayed brilliantly by Betty Gilpin. Simone grew up with a magician father (David Arquette), and her sharp instincts and ability to spot fakes made her a valuable member of his act. As an adult, Simone joins a nunnery, where she spends her time tending to the garden, praying, and exposing con artists who use magic for their schemes. She is aided in her fight against crime by Jay, a diner owner played by the charming Andy McQueen, who also happens to have romantic tension with Simone.
However, Simone’s peaceful life is disrupted when Mrs. Davis, an AI that promises to improve people’s lives, begins to relentlessly pursue her. Mrs. Davis is immensely popular with its users, who receive help finding jobs, homes, and emotional fulfillment. Its most successful followers even earn angel wings visible through an AR app on their phones. Mrs. Davis is effectively a new faith that competes with Christianity and other religions. However, Simone finds it unsettling that so many people have blindly given control of their lives to an unknown AI.
Despite Simone’s rejection, Mrs. Davis continues to pursue her relentlessly, resorting to increasingly extreme measures to get her attention. Eventually, Simone agrees to meet the AI through a kindergarten teacher proxy. Mrs. Davis tells Simone that she alone can locate and destroy the Holy Grail, and in return, she will grant Simone one wish. Simone’s wish is for Mrs. Davis to shut itself off, and on her quest to find the Holy Grail, she is joined by her ex-boyfriend Wiley, played by Jake McDorman.
Many individuals are concerned about the rapid emergence and popularization of AI, with its potential to threaten jobs and create an existential threat, as Elon Musk often emphasizes. However, the benefits of artificial intelligence are often ignored. Therefore, it is essential to carefully examine the technology instead of immediately vilifying or praising it.
The show, Mrs. Davis, created by Tara Hernandez and executive produced by Damon Lindelof, explores the glory and ruin AI can bring. The story follows a nun named Simone, played by Betty Gilpin, who fights against con artists that rely on magic for their grift. However, one day, an all-seeing AI named Mrs. Davis comes calling, promising to improve the life of anyone who uses it. Despite the AI’s popularity, Simone is the only one who recognizes the potential danger and sets out on a quest to destroy it.
The show moves quickly from locale to locale and concept to concept, anchored by Betty Gilpin’s excellent performance. The show explores what faith looks like in a world where artificial intelligence can anticipate our needs, and organized religion merely asks for our trust and occasional contributions. Although the show’s take on faith might be controversial, it is fascinating how it seeks to turn internal pursuits like praying into something cinematic.
Mrs. Davis also asks viewers to question their love affair with technology and to take a step back and consider their reliance on apps and algorithms. While Simone might be an avowed technophobe, the show is not, and it merely encourages the audience to evaluate their relationship with technology.
