Who, or what, is the algorithm?
It’s been one of Silo‘s core mysteries since Lukas Kyle (Avi Nash) first heard the mysterious voice in Season 2, and now we’re halfway through Season 3 and we still don’t have any answers. But we do have a new clue, that comes courtesy of another exchange between Head of IT Camille (Alexandria Riley) and the mysterious voice in the vault.
So what was said, and what might it mean?
What happens with the algorithm and Camille in episode 6?
Camille, feeling the pressure of her leadership role, storms into the vault and yells “I think it’s a mistake!” at the algorithm, in reference to them granting Juliette’s (Rebecca Ferguson’s) request to go back to Silo 17. Typically the robotic voice responds to Camille almost immediately, but on this occasion she’s met with silence. It lasts 10 seconds before she asks “You there?”, and the algorithm finally speaks.
“What is a mistake?” it responds, and for the briefest of moments the voice actually sounds exasperated — so much so that a slightly expression of confusion passes over Camille’s face.
It doesn’t last long, and after a few minutes the algorithm slips back into its familiar cold logic. But was that a tiny slip we witnessed?
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What does it mean for the voice behind the algorithm?
The question of whether the algorithm is AI or human has been bugging us for a while now. 90 percent of the time the voice feels like AI, from its robotic sound to the way it quickly utilises statistics.
But could there actually be a person on the other side of that screen? Maybe someone with access to technology that provides them with all the data they need in real time?
The exchange outlined above leads us to think the answer might be yes. AI wouldn’t show irritation, and it wouldn’t ever be slow in responding — but a human being hurrying to get to a computer might.
Silo Season 3 is streaming now on Apple TV, with new episodes dropping every Friday.
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