Lindelof says the show was born, in part, out of his and Hernandez’s interest in machine learning—and their abject fear of its reach. “We’re worried, and in a self-centered context, we feel like we’re using technology and AI—and in particular algorithms driven by AI—way too much,” says Lindelof. “The idea that the show certainly tries to advance, at least in the first couple episodes, is, are we being forced? Or are we being manipulated into making decisions in someone else’s best interests?”
Is, for example, a restaurant recommended on Yelp something that repeated clicks have suggested that we would really like, or is it a spot that a computer thinks that we would like and that just happens to kick a little something back to the app? Elections, ideologies, and cultural tastes can undoubtedly be similarly gamed, but moreover, Lindelof and Hernandez wondered, what does that mean?
“We wanted to look at what’s free will and what’s being manipulated,” says Lindelof. “That’s at the core of religious philosophy, too, like, ‘Is everything predestined by God and I’m just carrying out my role, or do I have autonomous free will where the decisions I make are mine and mine alone?’”
That’s part of why Simone’s character is a nun in the show and why themes of religion run throughout. “We need an agent of religion versus an agent of the algorithm pitted against each other, forced to figure out, ‘Hey, religion ain’t going anywhere. Technology ain’t going anywhere. We’re not going to be friends here, are we?’” says Lindelof. “It was about, ‘Who you got?’”
Of course, even a show about how AI contributes to our lack of free will can actually benefit from that construct in 2023. When Mrs. Davis is presented as a suggestion of what to watch next on Peacock, perhaps that’s because the person watching previously enjoyed shows about nuns, magic, or … some great algorithmic mystery. It’s a simple bit of artificial assistance most people don’t even notice anymore.
This irony is not lost on Mrs. Davis’ creators, who acknowledge that even though many people might strive to exist outside of AI’s persuasive reach, that doesn’t mean it’s always possible—or even ideal. “I have this opinion that I don’t truly engage with technology or with social media,” says Hernandez, “but I used a dating app to meet my husband. That was an event in life that you would traditionally leave up to chance and fate, as it were, but I put my faith in technology, and it changed the course of my life.”
