The audience at a SXSW festival roundly booed a video promoting the positive impact of AI.
The speakers in the video suggested people stop resisting AI advances and embrace the tech.
The annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, known for its convergence of technology, film, and music, recently witnessed a discordant response from attendees during a screening. The source of contention? A brief video extolling the virtues of artificial intelligence (AI), which elicited audible boos from the audience.
Captured on social media, the footage revealed unmistakable disapproval as the conference sizzle reel showcased industry leaders discussing AI in positive terms. Among the speakers featured were Peter Deng, vice president of consumer product at OpenAI, the entity behind ChatGPT, and Sandy Carter, COO of Unstoppable Domains, among others.
Audiences attending the SXSW premiere of “The Fall Guy,” starring Ryan Gosling, were not happy about having to watch a sizzle reel before the movie that touted the promises of AI. Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Universal Pictures.
Carter’s call to “be an AI thinker” was met with derision, as was Rony Abovitz’s exhortation to embrace AI rather than be overrun by it. A similar reaction ensued when Peter Deng asserted that AI enhances humanity.
While Carter characterized her SXSW panel on AI as engaging and received positive feedback from the audience, other panelists featured in the video did not offer comments on the matter.
Notably, a significant portion of the audience comprised professionals from the film industry, including actors and screenwriters recently involved in strikes. AI’s role in filmmaking has become a prominent concern, with studios making concessions to limit its usage in script rewriting and digital likeness reproduction.
The film industry’s apprehension about AI was further exacerbated by OpenAI’s unveiling of Sora, a generative video tool, prompting Tyler Perry to halt the expansion of his studios due to concerns about job displacement.
In parallel, startups are actively exploring AI integration in film production, primarily focusing on post-production tasks like digital and sound effects. However, there are indications that AI’s influence could extend far beyond these realms.
Recent controversies, such as Under Armour’s AI-powered commercial, have intensified fears about AI’s encroachment into creative domains. Despite criticisms, a studio executive defended the use of AI, dismissing detractors as irrational.
The episode at SXSW underscores the growing tensions surrounding AI’s role in various industries, highlighting the need for nuanced discussions and considerations of its implications for creativity, labor, and innovation