Every summer, we’re told to “Expect the Unexpected,” and for this season of Big Brother, that meant a new AI twist.
The twist parallels Big Brother Australia 14’s Second Chance Challenge. Let’s explore a little about “Ainsley’s” role in the game and how, if at all, it’s changed houseguests' strategies thus far.
What is the AI Twist?
As with every season of Big Brother, there is a unique theme this summer: artificial intelligence.
The Big Brother Artificial Intelligence Network Self Learning Entity or “AINSLEY” is supposed to change the game as they see fit. Sometimes known as the 17th houseguest, she’ll communicate with the other contestants in the game through a proto-hologram box in the living room. But AI means more than just a voice communicating with the other houseguests.
In addition, houseguests will compete in the AI Arena competition just before the eviction. That means nominated houseguests get another opportunity to rescue themselves from the block. If you’re one of the Head of Household’s (HOH) three nominees, you first have the traditional Veto comp that can save you, and then whoever’s on the block following that ceremony can win the AI comp and earn safety from the eviction. That leaves two remaining houseguests to campaign to the rest of the house to stay in the game as we’re used to seeing on Big Brother US.
What’s the goal of the AI Twist?
Evidently, the show is trying to ramp up the game from the outset and force more aggressive gameplay from the hop. It’s unsurprising, given how often we get unanimous votes in the early going. Nearly everyone wants to survive in the first few weeks of the show, even if that means not making the best move for your game. That’s why we usually see a landslide vote one way.
With this twist, it’s obvious that producers are trying to make things more exciting and try to get the kind of insanity that only a select few houseguests have given us in the early portion of the game.
There’s a reason few play that way early on, though, as it almost always leads you to a one-way ticket out the door the following week, as it did for those two. It appears they want more players swinging for the fences, as we’ve seen former houseguests like Frenchie (BB23) and Devin (BB16) do. There’s a reason few play that way early on though, as it almost always leads you to a one-way ticket out the door the following week like it did for those two.
Has the AI Twist changed the game?
We are still in the early stages of Big Brother 26, but the AI twist has done little to speed up the gameplay in the house thus far.
The first eviction between Kenney and Matt was an 8-3 vote for the former to stay, while week two saw Lisa leave the game in an 11-1 blowout. We may not be seeing clean sweeps, but the houseguests are still suffering from the traditional jitters of early evictions.
In all likelihood, the reason for these lopsided votes is that houseguests know the show so well that they do everything possible to guard against twists. That can’t always save you, but after 25 seasons, houseguests know to plan 2-3 steps in advance in the event of a double eviction or a random safety twist. Since this particular twist is not much different than a double eviction, they’re likely prepared for it.
What’s been different about the AI Twist?
The most interesting part of the AI twist so far is that it hasn’t created the amount of scrambling we’re accustomed to seeing on double eviction nights. During the week two eviction, we saw no last-minute chats from Angela or Lisa, one of whom was at the end of their rope. That’s a sharp contrast from most double evictions when houseguests often fight like crazy to remain in the game, while those voting are going back and forth like a ping-pong game trying to figure out what to do.
Perhaps no last-minute shifts are occurring because it’s still early in the game. Twists or not, people rarely want to make big moves until the middle of the season at the earliest. Most of that involves wanting someone to hide behind for a while, until they feel it’s the right moment to strike.
Producers can throw as many twists and turns into the game as possible, but houseguests will often play it safe unless their Big Brother life is at stake.
A step closer to the money often outweighs a game-changing move that could win you the money.