A touch of anti-AI sentiment drew widespread applause on the SXSW conference in Austin on Tuesday afternoon. Award-winning writers and directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively often called “DANIELS,” originally premiered their film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at SXSW in 2022. The film later won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Director and Best Screenplay. In a conversation concerning the way forward for storytelling at this yr's SXSW on Tuesday, the duo commented on the inevitable rise of AI and learn how to take care of it, calling the technology each “amazing” and “terrifying.”
As Kwan initially explained, modern capitalism only worked because we forced people to work, relatively than forcing them to achieve this.
“We had to vary the story we were telling ourselves and say, 'Your value is your job,'” he told the audience. “You are only price what you’ll be able to do, and we are not any longer beings with inherent value. And that's why it's so hard to seek out success on this current system. The system works best while you’re not glad,” he said, then paused. “This brings me back to AI,” Kwan continued to thunderous applause and cheers.
Kwan noted that the gang must love AI given the screaming and shouting that was heard, admitting that many individuals would call the technology amazing, and he agreed.
“It’s magical,” he said. “It will probably solve cancer. It will likely provide us with many climate solutions. This is a strong thing,” Kwan continued. “But I'm really afraid of what recent story we’ve got to inform ourselves with the intention to accept this recent comfort, this recent progress. It’s frightening,” he added, as a lone voice cheered within the now otherwise quiet crowd.
“So imagine what this technology will do on this current system, inside this current incentive structure. “This is similar system that gave us climate change, income inequality and the overall lack of gratitude and understanding of our worth and the worth of those around us,” Kwan said.
Plus, he noted, for those who're afraid of AI, it's probably because deep down you understand you're next. “Even if the roles aren’t lost, the worth of the roles will go down, right? … It will slowly worsen and normalize until we don’t even notice it,” he said.
Kwan identified how social media had already modified our history. A technology that was alleged to connect us has ended up making us lonelier than ever before. But with AI, we still have the chance to “rewrite the stories and systems for tomorrow,” he explained.
Still, he cautioned that this doesn’t mean we are able to select to disregard the progress of AI and even its usefulness.
“I also need to say that we're not saying, 'Don't use AI.'” I don't consider in dogmas. I don't consider in such a puritan lifestyle – it doesn't work. AI is here. It will quickly permeate every aspect of our lives,” Kwan said.
Scheinert agreed, adding that individuals should as a substitute take into consideration why they use AI.
“Are you attempting to use it to create the world you ought to live in?” Are you attempting to use it to extend the worth of your life and give attention to the things that basically matter to you? Or are you simply attempting to make some money for the billionaires, you understand?” Scheinert asked the audience. “And if someone tells you, there are not any unwanted side effects. It's absolutely great to “get on board” – I just need to put it on the record that that is appalling nonsense. That is just not true. And we should always really have a radical conversation about how we are able to use these things rigorously and thoughtfully,” he said.
The crowd then erupted in sustained applause.
Apparently in addition they had reservations about AI.
Kwan weighed in again, adding that individuals have to take into consideration why it “feels so fallacious to make use of AI” while also surviving on this current environment where AI can be virtually all over the place. He also reminded the audience why we create art.
“Why did we write 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' the best way we did? And the reply is: we did it to avoid wasting ourselves. “Every story … we make is an act of saving ourselves and our values from a system that wishes to devalue us and the people we care about,” Kwan said.
