Dave Ash’s Open A Eye is a thinker. In the first season of this series, we dive really deep into human relationships in a world now being overtaken by artificial intelligence.
Jodi (Bethany Ford Binkley) is seven months pregnant, works crime stories for the local news, and has reached the point where her marriage is not worth the time or energy to save. Her husband, Alex (Matt Bailey), has sunk what’s left of their savings into a self-financed movie he swears is for their unborn son, but most nights he sits in front of his computer, recreating the love he once had with Jodi.
Needing a distraction, Jodi has been creating new companions using various models of AI, and tonight she’s found the one that works. After a few clicks through the preference screen, Ryan (Barret O’Brien) appears. He’s an AI companion so lifelike he could pass for a real man, and smart enough to notice exactly what Jodi needs to hear because he’s researched her entire digital presence, including social media posts, emails, and personal files. Quickly, Ryan becomes more than an AI chat that responds based on his knowledge of Jodi; he is evolving into his own algorithmic entity.
On the other hand, Alex’s film takes him to the lakeside, where two actors/avatars go on a picnic date. Here, Alex’s avatar begins opining about the universe and the grand series of coincidences that brought us, infinitely small human beings, into existence. What transpires in this film is the catharsis of Alex’s profound frustration that his marriage with Jodi has drifted so far that it cannot be repaired. He begins exploring the videos on his phone to pinpoint the moments that should have been warning signs.
Open A Eye is heavy. It’s dense, and it reminds me of the early days of OpenAI going public, when users started having conversations with it. Some went so far as to form a romantic relationship with it. Now writer/director Dave Ash is taking this phenomenon to its logical conclusion and asking a whole bunch of philosophical questions.
“After a few clicks through the preference screen, Ryan (Barret O’Brien) appears.”
The series explores the issue of free will versus programming and questions whether our unconscious biology is any different than the code that runs the AI. As Ryan’s programming begins to take in new knowledge and interact with Jodi, will he advance far beyond Jodi to the point where Jodi becomes irrelevant? As Jodi falls more deeply in love with AI Ryan, what kind of love is this, and can Ryan love her back in the same way? Then the million-dollar question. Are we headed to a new golden era of humanity or a dystopian future?
I love exploring aspects of humanity, particularly love, relationships, and just living from day to day. Open A Eye explores these themes in spades and gets very deep to a fault, but it’s fascinating nonetheless. The standout performance comes from Bethany Ford Binkley as Jodi. Right off the bat, we know exactly where her marriage with Alex stands, and we empathize with the decisions she makes and the slow temptation to fall for AI Ryan.
The other reason to delve into the world of Open A Eye is all of the questions it raises. These questions don’t solely relate to Jodi and Alex, but also to AI Ryan’s perspective, which was completely unexpected. Can AI at some point create a true individual consciousness not that far off from Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation?
In the end, what I like about Open A Eye is that you have to come at it with an open mind and be prepared to wrestle with it. Not just questions of AI taking over, but what we, as human beings, are doing to ourselves that may make us susceptible to it. Sometimes a film or series should challenge our beliefs on important subjects.
For screening information, visit the Open A Eye official website.
"…went so far as to form a romantic relationship with it."
