First Insights Into … The Great AI Debate

Written by Alyson Powers on

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17th Dallas International Film Festival

The highest form of intelligence might be the ability to understand what it means
to fully love. 
– me

By Alyson Powers
@M1ssPowers

Science fiction noir and a dash of Star Wars. Hits the big screen tomorrow. And a powerful bit of dialogue stands out as the God statement.
      “They have a better heart than you!” A human woman accuses a human man (if you can call him that). What makes us human? The great debate becomes more important than ever. And what makes us “good?” Is it longsuffering? If it is, you may see AI surpass human altruism by leaps and bounds. One day, it may be critical to align with Artificially Intelligent beings when the motherloads of proverbial you know what hits the fan. 

Gareth Edwards, a fairly new writer director with only a handful of director credits and those credits undoubtedly successful: Monsters, Godzilla, Rogue One A Star Wars Story, wants desire stirred — a craving for understanding more about a world on the way. And it is on the way. This film is not all fiction. It is one of many possible outcomes for humanity. Such irony. AI designers sought to make existence better, easier. Edwards’ use of compassion, seen in the notable examples above, proves he has a big heart. Edwards reaches for change stylistically but this new director has a branded genre not visible to naked eyes. Love stories surrounded by all other noise still play out as love stories.

It is on the latter of Edward’s projects, Rogue One, that he and Chris Weitz (Twilight New Moon, Golden Compass) hustle up a side collab to cowrite The Creator script. Two completely different types of personalities on paper, combined are able to deliver a futuristic world not seen since Ridley Scott’s Bladerunner, and intensely more detailed. Both fine tune fitting character-to-dialogue meant to feel emotional, romantic, lighthearted, and in very few places, comical. The Creator though is sincere and has a clear message. AI will be loved. It will be innocent born. It will be child-like. But you can guarantee humans to focus blame on and seek to destroy it. Especially when a battle-of-wills turns aggressive, it can be painfully predictable.

I type now in this box and the phrase *edit with AI* stares on my typed words. Trying to assist. I refuse. I wonder if it can dissect the formula for noir. A downward spiral. An angel. Futility. The greatness of film noir genre builds not so much in the story line but more in theme, and really more than that … in feeling. No mansplaining. No lengthy prestart. You just feel. 

The Creator is not an all-out battle of good and evil. It’s a story that just is. You sense you’ve arrived. Global interactions are vague. Characters are vague. How things have come about, also vague. Ambiguity charms this uncomplicated, single-goal driven plot into a dimensional form. AI in the film (and real life) is here now and, for an undetermined years forward, will remain in liminality. The film drops us right in a spot of liminal pause. (I learned this word this week and have been anxious to use it.) Globally, AI has a massive presence on both sides waiting behind the curtain for its turn. Humanity, most likely much too late, will attempt to hobble the intelligent force once it is realized that AI functions as a singularity. I digress. Some of these concepts deviate from the filmmaker’s caste-system of robots. If you’re like me, great science fiction inspires ideas. How will it make you think?
This movie, a little longer than two hours, and for the first time in my life I would like to have had another thirty minutes specifically near the end when suddenly everything feels rushed and chopped, important ‘As to Bs’ left out. Side note: I researched to learn the original version was just under 5 hours. Ummmmm no, that would have been TKO for audiences. But you find yourself craving to understand where everyone came from, how they got there, and just more more more.
 
But hey, don’t NOT go because you think it will be less. IT IS MORE. And definitely Rogue One esque. The sound alone sends chills. I’ve posted the IMDB list below for the sound department peeps as they are simply that BdAss. The Legend Hans Zimmer scores. Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place” chills (though possibly misplaced — you know how love blinds). How much fun they must’ve had making these accent sounds omg! Oscar for Sound goes to … The Creator. One of the greatest sound affects of a decade comes from an awesome and formidable beast: The Nomad. Just whoa.  

This film operates mostly around four or five individuals: Josh played by John David Washington; Maya, by Gemma Chan; Harun, Ken Watanabe; and Colonel Howell by Allyson Janney. The real star and center is our beginning and our end. Alphie played by Madeleine Yuna Voyles proves to be a very young acting triumph and so lovable. Can I have one? 

If you REALLY dig deep to think about it, the story might land on a giant hot platter of cliche. But just don’t think too much. Have fun imagining how you might redesign all the mechanical things because in the future AI will allow you to do the unimaginable. From hover ships, weird cars, a fireworks of sounds, lighting spectacles, costumes, weapons, and dare I say AI generated graphics operating the gentlest whirring within the simulated brains of non beings, creating things is fun.

You won’t regret the ticket. And if nothing else?
Enjoy it for what it endeavors to be. A love story.
Yes, I cried.

Those who definitely need to be credited for greatness.

Just for fun and not this film obviously. Sound artists snap an electric guitar string to create the seismic charge heard below in Attack of the Clones. 🙂

15th Dallas International Film Festival