Reality host Julie Chen Moonves is spilling the beans on Big Brother Season 26 — and the AI twist is a lot more complex than you might think! On July 9, 2024, CBS announced that the theme for the upcoming season of the hit reality series will be Artificial Intelligence. By extension, this means that this year, the contestants won’t just be up against each other, they will also be up against the bot BB Artificial Intelligence, or BB AI as the host puts it.
After the big announcement, Moonves spoke with Entertainment Tonight, claiming that fans should be prepared for a major shock. She teased that Big Brother Season 26 will really “lean into the madness,” implying that BB AI has the tendency to “turn evil.” However, she promised that while BB AI is definitely going to add some twists to the game, the show will still stick to its traditional format.
The Big Brother host clarified that while the AI twist will definitely be scary to some, it’s not going to be at the expense of the houseguests. However, Moonves seems to think that after 26 seasons, this unexpected new element is much-needed in the game! She described her sentiments about this in the following words:
“Look, [the show has] been on for 26 seasons, these houseguests are experts, they’re like, ‘Oh it’s week number five, that means they’re gonna do the double eviction or the golden, the platinum.’ So we have to crank it up a little bit.”
Moonves Highlights The Contestants as Key to ‘Big Brother’s 26-Season Success
Big Brother’s success comes because of its contestants and after 26 installments, Moonves has gone out of her way to credit them for Big Brother’s long-standing appeal in the same interview with ET. She talked about the reality show’s unbeatable formula, where even if the audience hates the contestants, they’re still curious to know their fate. She put weight to her argument in the following words:
“Sixteen strangers living together in one space — it’s compelling even without competition. Watching their interactions, whether it’s love, conflict, laughter, or tears, draws you in. You laugh with them, cry with them, and yell at your TV.”
However, she did reveal that in Big Brother Season 26, the stakes are going to be higher than ever. This time around, the contestants will have to be wary of the AI presence in the house — especially when it comes to the iconic ‘Have-Not Room.’ This room is where contestants have to spend a night as punishment for losing tasks. Now, in the past, the ‘Have-Not Room’ has featured dental chairs as beds or very bright lights that stay on the whole time.
In Season 26, the room is set up to look like an AI malfunction that left it incomplete. “The beds look like coffins,” she described, comparing them to large black boxes used to transport concert equipment, complete with audio gear. However, the rest of the details of the show’s highly-anticipated installment is kept under wraps for now — and we have no choice but to wait for Big Brother Season 26 to start airing!
Big Brother Season 26 premieres July 17, 2024 on CBS. All the previous seasons are available to stream on Paramount Plus.