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The new Apple TV series Pluribus stars Rhea Seahorn as one of a handful of people not overwhelmingly happy. Now that the first two episodes are out and people know what it’s about, some have wondered if this is all a metaphor for artificial intelligence.
Creator Vince Gilligan recently told Variety he thought up and wrote the show before AI and large language models like ChatGPT really gained prominence in recent years. That said, he won’t fight anyone who’s made those connections, just as he isn’t planning to explain things to the degree he did with Breaking Bad. “One thing I did wrong [there] was telling people, ‘This is what that meant!’ I look back and it was so tiresome,” he recalled. Going forward, he’s following advice once given to him by Michael Mann in 2002: “Just tell a good story, let the audience figure out the theme. That’s their job.”
Lest you think he’s secretly an AI booster, that’s not the case at all: after previously telling Polygon he’d never use it, Gilligan used Variety to further affirm his stance. “I hate AI. It’s the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine. I think there’s a very high possibility that this is all a bunch of horseshit. 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.”
Gilligan’s beef with the technology primarily concerns “Silicon Valley assholes” who’ve put all their eggs in the AI basket. Because should it develop “a true singularity that has its own soul, and therefore its own identity,” does that mean companies like Meta and OpenAI have created digital slaves to monetize? He certainly seems to think so, and warns audiences to not get impressed by Silicon Valley’s latest shiny toy.
Like Heretic, the Pluribus credits declares it as a show “made by humans.” Whatever else you take away from it in the coming weeks, know that it was all done with a personal touch.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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The new series from Vince Gilligan ('Breaking Bad') stars Rhea Seehorn and is now streaming.
Vince Gilligan's new sci-fi series starring Rhea Seehorn premieres tomorrow, but you can watch its first few minutes right now.
Before 'Breaking Bad' and 'Pluribus,' the acclaimed TV creator cut his teeth on the classic '90s sci-fi series.
The mysterious new sci-fi show from 'Breaking Bad' creator Vince Gilligan comes to Apple TV November 7.
There's a new Apple TV set-top box on the way that may or may not help this rebrand make sense.
'Pluribus,' starring Rhea Seehorn from 'Better Call Saul,' premieres November 7 on Apple TV+.
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Source: Gizmodo