'Odyssey' director Christopher Nolan calls AI an obvious 'Trojan horse'
"Everybody knows the Greeks are inside. " Christopher Nolan, the Oscar-winning director whose new version of "The Odyssey" is currently conquering the box office , said it's been "pretty encouraging" to see deep skepticism of AI, especially from young people . Nolan was responding to a question from interviewer Hugo Travers , who publishes on YouTube under the name HugoDécrypte.
Key Takeaways
- Travers brought up the legendary Trojan horse, which plays a key role in Nolan's film - just as the horse was a gift concealing murderous Greek invaders, he wondered if AI might be something "that you welcome in your daily life" only to see it become "something else and something darker.
" Laughing, Nolan responded, "I think AI is a Trojan horse that everybody knows the Greeks are inside.
- "Everybody's suspicion of it is so extreme, particularly young people.
The reaction to AI videos online and people my children's age immediately calling it 'AI slop' and coining that term and just putting it in a box.
- That's when we'll get the best out of a new technology, rather than just blind faith that everything's going to be great.
" (Meanwhile, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been angrily posting about the film's nonwhite and transgender cast members .
- The director has been famously resistant to other technologies, including smartphones; his embrace of film can make him seem simultaneously like a Luddite and a pioneer, with "The Odyssey" becoming the first feature film to be shot entirely on Imax film and cameras.
" "I embrace new technology all the time, but it tends to be sold to people at the expense of systems that might still be valid and viable," Nolan said.
- Join 1,000+ founders and VCs at all stages for real-world scaling insights and connections that move the needle.
Stats & Key Facts
- #) Nolan didn't get more specific about what he views as the threat from AI, but the technology has been a growing source of concern in Hollywood and was a major focus during the writers' and actors' strikes of 2023 .
Travers brought up the legendary Trojan horse, which plays a key role in Nolan's film - just as the horse was a gift concealing murderous Greek invaders, he wondered if AI might be something "that you welcome in your daily life" only to see it become "something else and something darker. " Laughing, Nolan responded, "I think AI is a Trojan horse that everybody knows the Greeks are inside. " He later described the technology as "a transparent horse, it's made of glass.
" "I've never seen a technology advancing so rapidly [that's been] so completely rejected by the public," he said. "Everybody's suspicion of it is so extreme, particularly young people. The reaction to AI videos online and people my children's age immediately calling it 'AI slop' and coining that term and just putting it in a box.
" In Nolan's view, this is "a very healthy skepticism, because technology is always going to give us great gifts, as you say, but it has to be viewed with skepticism. " Similarly, he said, "The motives of the people giving it to us also have to be viewed with skepticism. That's when we'll get the best out of a new technology, rather than just blind faith that everything's going to be great.
For more details please read the original article at TechCrunch AI.
Continue Learning
Comments
Sign in to join the conversation