I kind of like the tug-o-war going on in Mark’s head, as he reluctantly begins to move past his basic AI: Bad! mentality.  These are, in fact, actual AI projects. Putting aside the previous odd “interrogation room” interview sequence and the touristy walkabout, this is the first actual meat in an otherwise, vegan story. In these panels, we see Mark’s growing concern and curiosity, revealed through his shifting eyebrows. The influence of AI on and in the environment has been touched on previously in Mark Trail, as we’ve seen; but here, it becomes more of a personal struggle with Mark’s own ethics.

As much as I like to see something serious pop up in Mark Trail, Rivera’s track record of remaining on point is inconsistent. Once again, I fear that we’ll soon see a sharp disruption to Mark’s self-analysis and a big change in the tone of the story. It would be interesting to see Mark give his presentation and admit that he has been forced to rethink some of his biases. Will that happen?