ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot, recently interviewed the creators and star of Peacock’s limited series Mrs. Davis and found itself struggling to keep up with the complexities of the show. The series, created by Tara Hernandez and Damon Lindelof, revolves around a nun named Sister Simone (played by Betty Gilpin) who takes on an AI algorithm named Mrs. Davis to prevent it from infiltrating society with its promises of solving humanity’s problems.
During the interview, Gilpin shared her concerns over the effects of AI on human life and creativity. She voiced that she often found herself opening her phone not to connect and get smarter, but to disconnect and get dumber. I think that we are sort of scrolling and clicking ourselves out of some vital parts of the human experience, she added.
The show premiered this spring at a time when the growth of artificial intelligence was already a priority for the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. ChatGPT, in turn, was designed as a program that could take over certain journalistic tasks with ease. However, the chatbot failed to ask pertinent questions during the interview, leading some to believe it was not equipped for the task at hand.
When discussing the show’s underlying themes, the creators emphasized that the show seeks to explore the relationship between technology and spirituality. They added that not enough television talks about faith and that their show is meant to inspire people to engage with these ideas. They also commented on balancing the darker portrayal of technology with the lighthearted and comedic elements of the show.
In the end, the show exposes the entire idea of Mrs. Davis as a complete misunderstanding of marketing materials from Buffalo Wild Wings. The AI in question never truly had the capabilities it claimed, making it more of a victim of misinformation than an all-knowing, all-powerful entity. Hernandez jokingly mused that her mother would love the idea of a show about an older cast living in a retirement home run by AI-proxied nurses.
Ultimately, the ChatGPT interview with Hernandez, Lindelof, and Gilpin highlighted both the fascination and the fear surrounding AI and its impact on humanity. Although the bot’s performance was lackluster, the interviewers got to delve deeper into the themes of Mrs. Davis and the importance of exploring the ethical concerns around AI.
