DANIELS Duo Cautions Against AI’s Rapid Deployment at SXSW
The award-winning directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, known as “DANIELS,” received resounding applause for their cautionary remarks about AI at the SXSW conference in Austin on Tuesday. The duo, whose film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” premiered at SXSW in 2022 and later won seven Oscars, discussed the future of storytelling and the inevitable rise of AI, describing the technology as both “amazing” and “terrifying.”
The Devaluation of Human Worth in Modern Capitalism
Kwan explained that modern capitalism functions by compelling people to work, rather than forcing them, and has changed the narrative to equate one’s value with their job. He emphasized that this system thrives when people are unfulfilled, making it difficult to find true satisfaction within it.
The Potential and Perils of AI
While acknowledging AI’s potential to solve pressing issues like cancer and climate change, Kwan expressed his fear of the new story society will have to tell itself to accept the convenience and progress brought by AI. He warned that the current system, which has led to climate change, income inequality, and a lack of understanding of our inherent worth, will shape how AI is deployed.
The Gradual Normalization of AI’s Impact on Jobs
Kwan pointed out that even if jobs aren’t lost due to AI, their value will likely decrease over time, gradually becoming normalized until it’s barely noticeable. He drew parallels to how social media, initially meant to connect people, has paradoxically led to increased loneliness.
Rewriting the Stories and Systems for Tomorrow
Despite the concerns, Kwan emphasized that ignoring AI’s progress or usefulness is not the solution. Instead, he encouraged people to rewrite the stories and systems for the future while being mindful of how AI is deployed in every aspect of life.
Questioning the Motives Behind AI Use
Scheinert urged the audience to consider their motives when using AI, asking whether they are using it to create the world they want to live in and increase value in their lives, or simply to generate profits for billionaires. He cautioned against blindly accepting AI without considering its potential side effects and called for careful deployment of the technology.
The Purpose of Art and Storytelling
Kwan concluded by reminding the audience of the purpose of creating art and stories: to save ourselves and our value from a system that seeks to devalue us and those we care about.
“Why did we write ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ the way we did? And the answer is, we did it to save ourselves. Every story … that we make is an act of saving ourselves and our value from a system that wants to devalue us and the people that we care about,” Kwan said.
The DANIELS duo’s thought-provoking comments on AI’s rapid deployment and its potential impact on society sparked a mix of enthusiasm and concern among the SXSW audience, highlighting the need for a nuanced and cautious approach to this transformative technology.
3 Comments
The AI fearmongering is just as misguided as the pro-AI hype, both sides need a reality check
AI fearmongering is just as dangerous as the hype, we need a balanced perspective!
AI fearmongering and hype are two sides of the same coin, both fueling an irrational frenzy!