An anthology in an anthology, fancy that.
This episode purports to have four “cases” but really it’s three short scenarios mostly focused on the idea of generative AI in this near-future setting. The first case involves the doctor’s assistant with a crush, who has a friend with an AI scenario-maker. She uses it to create some cliché interactions around the doctor character, which the assistant girl roundly rejects since they don’t really emulate the real thing.
The second features a boy with an AI Girlfriend program that he patterned after his real crush. After he gets a chance with the real deal, being invited on a date with her, he’s ecstatic and even seems to hit it off well, but slips up by calling her the character’s name, outing his behavior and getting him soundly dumped, which leaves him in the ethereal arms of his augmented-reality copy in a way that’s clearly trying to toe the line between sweet and terrifyingly disturbed.
The third scenario is less AI-centric and is presumably included for a similar theme of illusion and reality. A Humanoid couple are on the rocks because the guy cheats almost compulsively, and in desperation they deal with the doctor as Moggadeet, who installs a “clarity switch” that they guy can trigger to have his desires suppressed. The ability to turn into a square at will successfully prevents him from cheating, but it turns out any real spark either dies or was dead long before, and the woman has no affection when her jealousy isn’t being triggered, causing her to walk out having fallen for someone else.
The fourth “case” is a brief postscript to the first, suggesting that the assistant’s friend may have a thing for her, and getting us a scene where it’s suggested that there’s something odd about the doctor and/or his blood. It doesn’t really show us a new scenario, which is why in my mind it only half counts.
On the whole, I actually liked Risa (the assistant) this episode. She’s still a character type I’d be concerned about, especially since she seems to be out of the loop somehow with regards to Dr. Sudo, but it was nice seeing her reaction the the fantasies presented to her.
The second case was delightfully disturbing, if in part due to its familiarity to certain behaviors that already exist, but it wasn’t framed like it was supposed to be quite as dystopic as it came off. I guess it probably isn’t, since it’s more a case of human nature not changing no matter how technology does.
The third case was the most interesting to me. It had a decent conflict, left a question about the nature of a human experience (namely, where did the woman’s affection die and for what reason?) and I kind of wanted to know more about what the “Clarity Switch” was and what it did.
I feel like a broken record summarizing this but for now, I’ enjoying Gene of AI, but not wowed by it. Next week, I anticipate more of the same.