PROJECT FEAR

Josh Hartnett plays a tech genius in mortal danger when he creates an artificialintelligence system with uncanny powers

- Josh Hartnett

NEW THRILLER

The Fear Index Thursday, Sky Atlantic HD, 9pm

How far can we push developments in artificial intelligence before they become a threat to humanity? That’s the question being asked in Sky Atlantic’s heart-stopping new thriller The Fear Index.

The four-part drama, based on Robert Harris’ novel (see panel, below right), is set over a 24-hour period in Geneva and centres on US tech genius Dr Alex Hoffman, played by Pearl Harbor and Penny Dreadful’s Josh Hartnett.

Alex has created VIXAL, an AI system that plays the financial markets by detecting, analysing and exploiting fear. But although the innovation is making vast amounts of money for Alex’s hedge-fund company, which he owns with British business partner Hugo Quarry (Arsher Ali), concerns are growing over VIXAL’s uncanny powers of prediction.

Meanwhile, after Alex is attacked by a mysterious figure in the home he shares with wife Gabby (Leila Farzad), he starts to suspect that someone is framing him for a spate of worrying incidents. But as cynical local detective Jean-Philippe Leclerc (Call My Agent!’s Grégory Montel) investigates, is someone really targeting Alex – or is his sanity in question?

TV&Satellite Week joined Hartnett, 43, for a video chat to learn more about the series…

Why did The Fear Index appeal to you? I liked the book very much. Robert Harris is an astounding writer, and takes on so many different genres. This is a contemporary thriller and is cleverly put together. Originally, the book was based on