A whiff of anti-AI sentiment got big applause on the SXSW conference in Austin this afternoon. Award-winning writers and directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively often called “DANIELS,” originally premiered their film “All the pieces In all places All at Once” at SXSW in 2022. The movie later went on to win seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. In a conversation concerning the way forward for storytelling, the duo commented on the inevitable rise of AI and approach it, calling the technology each “amazing” and “terrifying.”

As Kwan first explained, modern capitalism only worked because we compelled people to work, somewhat than forced them to accomplish that.

“We had to vary the story we told ourselves and say that ‘your value is your job,” he told the audience. “You’re only value what you’ll be able to do, and we are not any longer beings with an inherent value. And this is the reason it’s so hard to search out success on this current system. The system works best if you’re not fulfilled,” he said, then paused. “Which brings me back to AI,” Kwan continued to a thunder of applause and cheers.

Remarking that the gang must love AI, given the hoots and hollering that was being heard, Kwan admitted that many individuals will call the technology amazing and he agreed.

“It’s magic,” he said. “It’s probably going to resolve cancer. It’s probably going to offer us plenty of climate solutions. This can be a powerful thing,” Kwan continued. “But I’m really frightened of what this recent story we’re going to need to tell ourselves as a way to accept this recent convenience, this recent progress. It’s terrifying,” he added as a single solitary voice cheered within the now otherwise quiet crowd.

“So imagine what this technology will do inside this current system, inside this current incentive structure. This is similar system that brought us climate change, income inequality, and the final lack of gratitude and understanding of our value and the value of those around us,” Kwan said.

Plus, he noted, if you happen to are feeling anxious about AI, it’s probably because, deep down, you already know you’re next. “Even when the roles aren’t going to be lost, the worth of the job will go down, right? … It can slowly be compounded and normalized until we don’t even know it,” he said.

Kwan pointed to how social media had already altered our story. A technology meant to attach us ended up making us lonelier than we now have ever been. But, with AI, we still have the chance to “rewrite the stories and rewrite the systems for tomorrow,” he explained.

Still, he cautioned that didn’t mean we could select to disregard AI’s progress and even its usefulness.

“I also need to say, we’re not saying ‘don’t use AI.’ I don’t imagine in dogmas. I don’t imagine in that sort of puritanical lifestyle — it doesn’t work. AI is here. It’s going to be rapidly deployed in every aspect of our life,” Kwan said.

Scheinert agreed, adding that, as a substitute, people should take into consideration why they’re using AI.

“Are you attempting to use it to create the world you should live in? Are you attempting to use it to extend value in your life and concentrate on the things that you just really care about? Or are you only attempting to, like, make some money for the billionaires, you already know?”  Scheinert asked the audience. “And if someone tells you, there’s no side effect. It’s totally great, ‘get on board’ — I just need to go on the record and say that’s terrifying bullshit. That’s not true. And we should always be talking really deeply about fastidiously, fastidiously deploy these items,” he said.

The gang then erupted into sustained applause.

They, too, had their reservations about AI, it seemed.

Kwan jumped back in so as to add that individuals need to have a look at why it “feels so improper to make use of AI,” while also surviving this current environment where AI will mainly be in all places. He also reminded the audience why we create art.

“Why did we write ‘All the pieces In all places All at Once’ the best way we did? And the reply is, we did it to avoid wasting ourselves. Every story … that we make is an act of saving ourselves and our worth from a system that wishes to devalue us and the those who we care about,” Kwan said.