What dunk-egg can tell us about man-AI

At a time when crowdsourced content, algorithm-churned plotlines and VX-AI are becoming the default go-to, HBO's mini-series, The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, bucks the trend. It reminds us that at the core, everything is about the telling of the story. Based on George R R Martin's novellas, Ko7K is not just another extension of the Game of Thrones universe, but a showcase of the enduring power of narrative shaped by imagination that goes beyond 'mere' heuristic.

Martin's writing, steeped in irony and melancholy, is not the sort of material that lends itself to consumer research. His tales of Dunk and Egg - an unlikely knight and his precocious squire - are small in scale compared with the dynastic wars of GoT. Yet, they pulse with humanity, making the episodes more popular than anything from the franchise. Equally vital is the acting. In an era when studios flirt with AI-generated scripts and digital avatars, Ko7K demonstrates the delicacy of human performance. A raised eyebrow, a faltering pause - and there are many pauses - these are not programmable flourishes but human spurs. AI is yet to summon the ineffable spark of, say, vulnerability. What endures are moments when an actor's humanity bleeds through the screen. When viewers aren't entertained but understood.

Ko7K, the last episode of the first season that dropped last Monday to universal acclaim, is a powerful vehicle to drive home the point that great storytelling remains key for consumers - whether of streaming shows, brands or, indeed, politics - to be wowed beyond novelty value. Consider Ser Dunk, the hedge knight of human imagination, and Egg, the AI apprentice, to be the ultimate duo, while keeping in mind that the latter will, in the future, be king. At least in the story.