Artificial Intelligence is taking over the entire world, and it's no surprise. This alarming evolution of AI is impacting everyday life in more ways than imagined, leading to an inevitable AI apocalypse. For people curious about how the world could become a few years down the line, Mrs Davis is the answer.
Mrs Davis is a science fiction limited series streaming on Peacock. The show demonstrates a world controlled by an omnipresent AI named Mrs Davis. It is a fight between technology and faith and sparks debate on whether AI is good, bad, or inevitable. The beauty of this series is that it depicts an AI apocalypse not loaded with creepy machines or menacing robots but as a simulated reality close to the contemporary world.
It's relatable
The world of Mrs Davis holds countless references and shocking parallels to the present world. The AI alone reminds one of Alexa or Siri or the countless AI assistants that are now dominating the real world. When someone craves shaved ice, immediately, Mrs Davis fills her path with billboards that increase her craving and ultimately lead her to a shaved ice stand. This situation is similar to how smartphones often “listen” to people and their interests and redirect them to relevant content indirectly pressuring them into buying.
Mrs Davis' users are also awarded “Wings” for acts of service, and the ones with wings are highly regarded in society. This is analogous to how society measures the worth of people through ratings and social media than calibre. Many scenes on the show are quite relatable, from humans' endless greed to their obsessive unhealthy addiction to smartphones. The AI controls people by preying on their weaknesses. It does not tell the truth but tells exactly what one needs to hear.
It's Satirical
The world in Mrs Davis is not shown in a dystopian fashion, but closer to the current world, which means that the AI apocalypse is not very far. People still eat doughnuts, go for walks and travel, yet, there is an unseen force haunting them and controlling their every move. Ironically, AI calls itself Mrs Davis or Madonna or Mum, implying that it has conveniently occupied a prominent place in people's lives, that of a mother. Every user around the world regards Mrs Davis not as a machine but as a mother. This materialistic world has left a void in humans, which Mrs Davis filled.
The series questions the prominence of faith in a world conquered by science. Sister Simone, a nun, goes on a quest to find the Holy Grail and destroy it in order to shut off Mrs Davis. The holy grail is a metaphor for a world rid of AI, a world of sanity and independence. As Mrs Davis assists its users through problems, the almighty himself assists Sister Simone through her quest. This fusion between science and faith makes it a must-watch.
It's terrifying
The rise of AI is affecting the world in more ways than imagined. Thousands and thousands of jobs are going obsolete, and the show highlights this. Sister Simone stumbles into a group called Resistance Fighters, whose motive is to destroy Mrs Davis. The group comprises people whose livelihood has been affected by the arrival of Mrs Davis. Moreover, AI and its abundance of information took away the innocence and wonder from peoples' lives, and its victims include poker players and magicians.
Mrs Davis also assigns her users “tasks” which they must complete to level up. This is a role-reversal situation, with humans doing tasks assigned by an AI rather than the opposite. This is a fearsome consequence of AI evolution, man is now a mere robot.
It's hopeful
Mrs Davis sums up every AI-related fear and uncertainty in one show. However, unlike a gazillion movies and series that depict an apocalypse as the end of humanity, Mrs Davis provides a little ray of hope. Change is inevitable, and if seen in the right way, change might not be that bad after all. AI might be good, bad, or a bit of both, but it is up to humans to decide on how to engage with this powerful force. Mrs Davis is a one-of-a-kind dystopian show that doesn't make its viewers anxious, but rather optimistic.
