Imagined Love
A woman who feels isolated from family, friends and herself, develops an unexpected companion for connection.
Seeking comfort from an AI Chatbot after a heartbreak, things are about to get real...
Cup of Hemlock Theatre Podcast reviewed Imagined Love in PART 2 of our 3-part post-festival Review Roundup.
Click link for YouTube, or search for the audio-only version wherever you get your podcasts. TIMESTAMP: 27:59
TL;DL: A touching portrait of heartbreak and human connection. Not quite the "Spike Jonze's Her for the age of actual AI" that I was expecting, but a pleasant surprise with its disarming simplicity.
A hustling actor becomes socially isolated as she leans on her AI assistant (Colin Doyle, in a subtly soulless turn) to manage her life. Director Amy Lee & dramaturg Haley McGee were savvy choices by charismatic writer/performer Tamara Almeida.
I liked this show quite a lot! I think as AI becomes more a part of our society, we'll see more and more shows pop up about it. Off the top of my head, I know there's three shows primarily about AI in this Fringe line up (nevermind shows where it's more of a subplot, like Minimum or shows that have used AI in their promotional materials) and that is a not a small percentage at all.
This show really drove home what we're seeing in our society about how AI chatbots enable people with mental health issues to avoid recovery, but it wasn't a flat out criticism of the tool. It also showcased some of the areas where chatbots are genuinely useful tools to human beings. I enjoyed the more nuanced take than we typically see in media and online. Colin A. Doyle also had THE most perfect AI voice, and I loved that they chose to use a live human being for the chatbot, rather than a pre-recorded track.