Ad Lucem is a science fiction story about a company that sells tangible holograms, which serve as virtual assistants and are controlled remotely by real people. An interesting concept: the invention challenges AI by using technology for real human contact. But in the first instance it is mainly the varied atmospheres, the strong dialogues and the mysterious characters that draw you into the story. Just like the “immersive audio”, for which podcast company QCode is known: sounds seem to come from all directions. It’s not until the third episode, a flashback to 2020, that you get to hear what ideology the company is based on. Miranda (Olivia Wilde), the future CEO, only 19 years old, is developing a prototype from quarantine.
A version of this article also appeared in the August 19, 2023 newspaper.