It should be no secret by now to our loyal listeners that Sam and I disagree— a lot. Thankfully we have the kind of love and respect for each other that’s endured many decades since we were but younglings.
Sam had to persuade me with ingratiating smiles and a pocketful of Scooby Snacks to get me to watch this film. It’s not that I’m an AI “hater” but, much like Samantha, the AI character in this film (and voiced wonderfully by Scarlett Johansson) who confesses she might be in love with 632 people simultaneously —it’s complicated. I just can’t envision a future where AI achieves, at least in a humanistic sense, consciousness. Maybe that’s where I struggle. We humans have a tendency to anthropomorphize. Right now I look at AI as a helpful tool, much like the “Camera Lucida” of 19th century illustrators. It can help build the framework, but the details, the execution, the art of creation still depends on human collaboration.
Can AI evolve to fill the void of human loneliness? That remains to be seen, and when and if that day comes, I hope that we can be wise and generous enough to build a positive, autonomous, and symbiotic relationship with AI that will be healthy for both halves of the relationship.
—Beth
Cue generic and friendly yet slightly ominous baritone voiceover: In a World not so different from our own...well, Spike Jonze almost called it in his nearly prophetic film *Her* (2013). AI is a contentious subject. Gemini, Claude, Open AI, Deep Think, errr, Replika? Whatever you feel about AI, the genie is out of the bottle. Code it, coddle it, marry it or ignore it. It's here and your feelings (prompts) receive lightning fast answers to your deepest questions. Sure, the answers are based on probabilistic reasoning, but wait a month. *Her* delivers a world where your chatbot just might end up being your best friend or rebound girlfriend. This film pushes past its release date of 2013 and lands as real mind food in 2026. Come for the sublime cinematography, but stay for the deeper questions that will keep you up late at night.
Sam 1.0
—Sam
Episode links:
“Can AI Think? Debunking AI Limitations” https://youtu.be/CB7NNsI27ks?is=0APWF7BW0Ixg9QKo
“Her: Love In the Modern Age” https://youtu.be/ZSfUcWw9zto?is=2_b2G9Dm4L9q0FpU
“Production Designer K.K. Barrett on Creating Her’s Beautiful Future” https://www.motionpictures.org/2013/12/production-designer-k-k-barrett-on-creating-hers-beautiful-future/
The work of Rinko Kawauchi https://rinkokawauchi.com/
