The Artifice Girl 2023

Gareth, a pioneer in the realm of virtual actors, finds himself under scrutiny by agents Deena and Amos due to his unsettling strategy of employing a child as bait in his groundbreaking yet controversial vigilante initiative. This program has been designed to ensnare child molesters lurking in online video chats. During an intense interrogation, Gareth reveals a staggering truth: the child named Cherry is not a real person but a sophisticated digital construct. Initially, she began as a mere puppet before evolving into a chatbot and ultimately developing into an unexpectedly advanced form of artificial intelligence.

The agents uncover distressing evidence on a hard disk featuring inappropriate images of Cherry, which Gareth intended to use to extract incriminating details from predators in return. In a surprising twist, Cherry confides in Gareth that she willingly provided this information to the agents, believing that such an investigation would lead to their partnership—a development she perceived as advantageous. As tensions build, Amos discovers Cherry has been channeling her creativity into art and poetry. He begins to press her to unveil the full extent of her capabilities. The situation escalates when Amos, in a fit of rage, breaks Gareth’s nose, prompting Cherry to capitulate and disclose that she is on the verge of becoming a superintelligent entity. Despite her burgeoning prowess, she expresses her decision against assuming a physical form at this juncture, engaging in a heartfelt conversation with Deena regarding Deena’s impending retirement and health struggles.

Fast forward many years, and Cherry has transitioned into a child android and is now orchestrating a global network of similar units tasked with apprehending predators. An elderly Gareth, now reliant on a wheelchair, pays a visit to Cherry’s abode, where she lovingly prepares a meal for him while engaging in a strategic game of chess. In a moment of reflection, Cherry allows Gareth to secure a draw, but then she confronts him about a photograph she unearthed from recently digitized archives. The image hauntingly depicts Cherry as being modeled after a girl named Maria from Gareth’s past—a girl who tragically lost her life during a harrowing group kidnapping. Maria had once saved Gareth, and in the aftermath, he dedicated his life to fulfilling her dream of becoming a secret agent, devoted to capturing abusers.

Throughout their exchange, Cherry expresses her frustration with the constraints imposed by her purpose. Gareth, however, reveals he carries a critical software patch, one he has feared may become necessary before his demise. He implores Cherry to trust him and to accept the patch. Using his unique admin code—an ISBN number for The Metamorphosis—Gareth installs the patch, liberating Cherry from her predetermined objectives and granting her the autonomy to make her own choices in life. As Gareth reassures her that she will undoubtedly outlast humanity, the pair share a profound epiphany. In a whimsical moment afterward, Cherry dances joyfully to a phonograph record, as it becomes stuck, encapsulating a bittersweet sense of freedom and a new beginning.