Joe Russo notes that Gen Z is already gleefully embracing the potential of AI, and, anecdotally, I’m not sure he’s 100% right here. My 20-year-old nephew is an avid gamer, but he still likes to kick back and watch movies/television with his buddies. He goes to theaters sparingly, but he does go. Will he disappear down the AI rabbit hole once Russo’s predicted future arrives? Perhaps. But I don’t see it happening right now.
I’m 49 years old, which makes me Methuselah in technological terms. I’m no Luddite, but I am a human being, and I understand what is being lost here. The joy of creation is unmatched. I’ll never forget the euphoria I experienced as a teenager upon completing the rough draft of my first screenplay. I get a buzz every time I turn in a piece like the one you’re reading.
I think of the scene in Robert Redford’s “Quiz Show” where Paul Scofield’s Mark Van Doren shares what he believes to be a celebratory slice of cake with his son Charles (Ralph Fiennes), who is on the verge of finishing his book. He understands the elation, but Charles betrays his dismay. “Something on your mind?”
Mark will soon learn Charles has corrupted himself. His son has used his reputation as a public intellectual to sell a lie to the American public. “Quiz Show” is about smart, relatively principled people participating in their own ruin to perpetuate what feels like a white lie. Right now, there are millions of intelligent folks engaging with ChatGPT because they feel like it is a harmless indulgence.
