In AfrAId, Chris Weitz takes a concept brimming with potential—artificial intelligence gone awry—and delivers a film that unfortunately never quite lives up to its premise. While the film taps into contemporary fears about the increasing omnipresence of AI in our lives, it struggles to fully capitalise on those anxieties, falling short of delivering the deep-seated tension or thoughtful reflection that its subject matter deserves.

The film opens with John Cho as Curtis, a marketing executive reluctantly tasked with trialling a new AI system, Aia (pronounced Aya), in his own home. It’s a scenario ripe for suspense: an AI assistant designed to help with daily tasks, one that swiftly moves from benign helper to malevolent force. Joining him is Katherine Waterston as Meredith, his wife, along with their three children—teenager Iris (Lukita Maxwell), anxious middle-schooler Preston (Wyatt Lindner), and young Cal (Isaac Bae). This set-up, reminiscent of...