Ridley Scott has Gladiator II in theaters soon, but the decorated director is probably better-known for his futuristic sci-fi tales than he is for his historical dramas, with Blade Runner and the Alien franchise leading the charge. In a new interview where he talks mostly about creating the follow-up to his 2000 Best Picture winner, Scott (who turns 87 in a few weeks) was asked for his thoughts about a burning issue in the cinematic world: the use of AI.
The question, posed by Deadline, was specifically framed in regards to the director’s “cynical” point of view on AI in 1979’s Alien —wondering if Scott has changed his opinion on its use over the past four-plus decades. “AI is a tool, remember that,” he told Deadline. “But AI can be also a terrible abuser of normal stuff, even good stuff. There’s one or two people out there … who may be able to think a little bit beyond [and use] AI for the best they can come up with, the big idea. That would include [Aliens director James] Cameron. And therefore, we always hope the very best will evolve and use AI as a tool.”
However, he continued, it’s not all bright horizons. “But see, probably one of the best ideas that is the trigger for all the best science fiction that followed, in [Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey]. You start off with a dawn of man, you see apes fighting over sustenance in a waterhole … [then] one morning, the power, not God, the power of the universe has delivered a monolith because it’s seen that the apes are now getting close enough to be thinking entities. And need that boost and help forward. The ape touches the monolith and has the first massive idea in history: he picks up a thigh bone of a beast and kills an ape with it. That’s a weapon, that is a million year quantum leap forward. It’s a grand superlative idea.”
Scott kept the 2001 example going to finish his thought. “Idea two, you’re on a spaceship now, going to search for the power that is and was, and what was the moment? Is it what we call God? … Or is [it] simply a power way beyond our comprehension, and therefore has examined us for years? … [Then you journey] to the far reaches of where they’ve never been before, and they’re relying on one crew member, called Hal. Hal is a fucking computer. And from that, an AI which won’t reveal it to them, but they’re smart enough to suspect Hal is betraying them. Because Hal knows that the expedition is more important than these human beings, and that’s Hal’s error. Hopefully, AI will always make an error. Hopefully. That’s a massive idea.”
Yep, he’s still taking a cautious stance toward AI. However, when Deadline asked if he’d rule out “AI that can help Ridley Scott make bigger and better movies,” the director didn’t rule it out completely, replying “never say never.”
Gladiator II hits theaters November 22.
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