Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is the subject of much dread and confusion in Hollywood.
Some people are concerned that studios may employ artificial intelligence to generate scripts for new films and television shows. There are some who are concerned that A.I. will replace actors. Essentially, individuals fear that AI poses an existential threat to the industry. Ben Affleck is not one of these individuals.
At this year’s 2024 CNBC Delivering Alpha investor symposium (via Variety), Ben Affleck was asked about artificial intelligence and how it will be perceived in Hollywood. The actor began by stating that “movies will be one of the last things, if everything gets replaced, to be replaced by AI.” He goes on to explain why that is.
“AI can create you fantastic imitation verse that sounds Elizabethan. “It cannot write you Shakespeare,” Affleck clarified.
Affleck also discussed what A.I. is really excellent at, which is imitation. The artificial intelligence that we have presently is incapable of original thought. For those unfamiliar with the technology popularly referred to as A.I. today, generative A.I. is a more particular term. This is the technology that can generate a script for a television show since it has read hundreds of scripts and recognizes their structure. The technology learns by taking in massive amounts of input from the internet and producing replications.
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“AI is a craftsman at best,” Affleck explained. Craftsmen can learn to manufacture Stickley furniture by sitting next to someone and emulating their method. This is essentially how massive video and language models function. They are simply cross-pollinating things that already exist. “Nothing new is created.”
He went on to say, “A craftsman is someone who knows how to work. Art is the ability to know when to stop. And I believe that AI will struggle to learn when to quit because it is a matter of taste. “There is also a lack of consistency, controls, and quality.”
Of course, technological advancements can cause changes. Today’s artificial intelligence is constantly improving, and there is a race among technologists to develop true artificial intelligence. However, it looks that we are still a long way from there.
So, for now, Affleck is correct. A.I. is not going to bring down the film business. At least, not yet.
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