Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Andrew Stanton, Hulu’s ‘In the Blink of an Eye‘ travels across millennia and thousands of light-years to tell the tale of humanity and its everlasting perseverance. Throughout this science fiction drama film, we journey alongside three different people: a Neanderthal man named Thorn, whose family is alone and struggling against nature; an anthropologist named Claire, whose study of human remains helps her figure out her present; and lastly, an astronaut named Coakley, whose task is to make a new planet her home.
These three distinct stories are connected by numerous symbolic and generational threads, but one stand-out element in particular turns out to be Elixir, the company founded by Claire’s son, which is now responsible for intergalactic travel. As Coakley wanders through space and wonders about life with her AI assistant, ROSCO, we come to learn that the past and the present are not too different in their curiosities, after all.
Elixir is a Fictitious Company That Likely Draws From Real Scientific Advancements
While Elixir is a fictional anti-aging company created by Colby Day specifically for ‘In the Blink of an Eye,’ it nonetheless draws parallels to some real-life companies conducting research in similar fields. Calico, a biotechnology company parented by Alphabet, bears the closest resemblance to Elixir, particularly in how its study of biological systems is directed towards slowing down aging. Cynthia Kenyon, Calico’s vice president of Aging research, was reportedly among the first to show that the rate of aging can be manipulated by human intervention, as per her study from 1993.
In the movie, David, Elixir’s CEO, claims that his technology works by interfering with gene mutations and accelerating self-healing. In real life, Kenyon’s study reportedly centered around a species of worm, where mutations of a gene known as daf-2 managed to nearly double the worms’ lifespan. In recent times, studies of gene alteration and bioengineering have managed to scale new heights, and several discoveries are being made in the field of aging. A 2019 experiment conducted on roundworms led to a 400–500% extension in their lifespan, which is close to the effects generated by Elixir in the movie.
Similarly, in 2024, a biotech company known as Rejuvenate Bio managed to extend mice’s lifespans by 109% through gene therapy. The same research also showed signs of age reversal in human skin cells, signaling that major progress is being made in the field. While Elixir itself may be a crafted company, the creators’ research adds to its authenticity. At the very least, it appears that real-life companies and organizations such as Calico, Rejuvenate Bio, AgeX Therapeutics, and many others are focused on understanding the phenomenon of aging as a whole.
ROSCO, as an Invented AI, is Designed to be Distinct From Modern LLMs
Much like Elixir, ROSCO in ‘In the Blink of an Eye’ is a fictional AI communication and operating system constructed by Colby Day. The writer had a very specific idea when developing the AI bot as a character, and his interview with Script Magazine reveals many valuable insights. When asked about ROSCO’s similarities to other AI systems in fiction and reality, he explained, “I wasn’t interested in writing a Hal 9000 type, and I wasn’t particularly interested in our present-day chatbots.” Instead, Colby found his creative impetus in questions of consciousness and companionship. Specifically, the movie goes beyond the storytelling mold of AIs having emotions, and instead touches on whether ROSCO can think as humans do. To that end, it is likely that Colby conducted deep research into how AI and LLMs interact with information, which is why ROSCO stands out as one of the movie’s most realistic creations.
In many ways, Colby’s conception of an AI system stands apart from modern-day LLMs such as ChatGPT or Claude, as well as virtual assistant technology such as Alexa or Siri. While ROSCO incorporates characteristics from both threads, its role in the larger narrative is specifically that of an interstellar assistant. Instead of focusing on the AI’s technical side, Colby interprets ROSCO as the only friend Coakley has had for centuries on end. When elaborating on the idea behind ROSCO’s creation, the writer explained that an AI as a friend is simultaneously real and virtual, which makes for the perfect contradiction in an arc as complicated as Coakley’s. Thus, while ROSCO may be partially influenced by its modern LLM counterparts, it ultimately exists within the realms of the movie.
Read More: In the Blink of an Eye Ending Explained: Are the Babies Alive? How Are the Three Stories Connected?
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