Pratik Handore
‘Kimi’ is a thriller film that centers on Angela, a tech worker from Seattle who resolves complaints regarding the titular device. Angela’s life turns upside down when she stumbles across evidence of a crime during work. The movie is directed by Steven Soderbergh and tells a gripping story that tackles a variety of complex and prevalent themes. Technology plays a crucial role in the film’s narrative and drives the plot forward. Hence, we are sure viewers must be curious to find out more about the eponymous device that is integral to the film’s plot. Here’s everything you need to know about the device in ‘Kimi.’ SPOILERS AHEAD!
Is Kimi a Real Device? How Does it Work?
No, Kimi (stylized as KIMI) is not a real device. It is a fictional device that exists strictly within the realm of the self-titled film. The device is a product of the Amygdala Corporation and plays a pivotal role in the film’s narrative. Kimi is an AI-powered, cloud-based, and voice-activated assistant that operates mainly through a speaker. Although the speaker is the device’s primary body, Kimi is, in fact, more of a technology than a device.
Kimi can be connected to all the electronic devices in a person’s house. It allows the person to operate these devices connected to Kimi through voice control. The device’s name serves as the waking command for the AI system. Thus, it is safe to say that Kimi isn’t much different from Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. The film alludes to the similarities between Kimi and these devices but highlights a key difference.
According to Amygdala Corporation CEO Bradley Hasling, Kimi does not entirely rely upon an algorithm to improve its communication and interactions with humans. Instead, the data collected by the device is sifted through by a team of individuals who listen to the requests. Angela is one of the audio analysts who work for improving Kimi. The company flags miscommunications with Kimi and then creates a stream of these “complaints.” Analysts such as Angela listen to these streams and resolve the issues by providing more appropriate command modules or references to the algorithm.
Once the issue is resolved, the analysts unflag the complaint, improving the AI system’s overall performance. In the movie, the latest model of Kimi is the version marketed as KIMI 6.0. In conclusion, Kimi is a fictional device that resembles real-world devices and technology. It provides the makers an opportunity to examine the impact of such technology on society, especially on crime investigation. It also highlights corporate ethics, privacy issues, and legal boundaries of using the data collected by such devices.
Read More: Kimi Ending, Explained
