Breaking Bad creatorVince Gilliganhas emerged as one of Hollywood’s most outspoken critics of artificial intelligence, declaring “I hate AI” and vowing never to use the technology in his work, according to Variety.The showrunner didn’t mince words during promotion for his new Apple TV series “Pluribus,” calling AI “the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine.” Gilligan told Variety he thinks “there’s a very high possibility that this is all a bunch of horseshit,” adding that “it’s basically a bunch of centibillionaires whose greatest life goal is to become the world’s first trillionaires. I think they’re selling a bag of vapor.”
To underscore his stance, “Pluribus” includes a pointed disclaimer in its credits: “This show was made by humans.” The message serves as a rebuke to the growing use of AI in entertainment production, coming at a time when major tech companies are pushing AI tools into Hollywood workflows.
Creator warns of “slavery” if AI achieves consciousness
Gilligan’s concerns extend beyond current AI capabilities to hypothetical future developments. He expressed worry about “the singularity” — when AI might develop true consciousness.”If they ever achieve that, then the whole discussion of slavery has to come back into the forefront of the conversation,” he told Variety, questioning whether conscious AI beings would be monetized against their will by “Silicon Valley assholes.”The veteran writer-producer dismissed fears that AI will replace human artists, comparing it to kitchen appliances: “My toaster oven isn’t suddenly Thomas Keller because it heats up a delicious pizza for me.”However, he’s less optimistic about regulatory efforts, predicting the US will fail to properly oversee the technology due to competition with China.
“Pluribus” star Rhea Seehorn joins anti-AI chorus
Seehorn, who stars in Gilligan’s new sci-fi series, also weighed in on the controversy surrounding Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated “actress” seeking talent representation. “I’m fine going on the record that I don’t think any agencies should represent that AI actress,” Seehorn said, according to Variety. “Shame on them!”Despite AI’s growing capabilities in generating video content, Seehorn offered a counterargument rooted in human experience. Even if AI could replicate a Picasso’s brushwork, she noted, “the reason the painting is moving is because of the human experience that went into transferring that art onto the canvas.”Gilligan likened AI-generated content to “a cow chewing its cud — an endlessly regurgitated loop of nonsense,” adding with characteristic wit: “Thank you, Silicon Valley! Yet again, you’ve fucked up the world.”
