This week, Wired’s Lauren Goode and her team tackle listener questions, cutting through the noise on AI’s impact on the film industry and the much-buzzed-about Jony Ive and OpenAI collaboration. Spoiler: not everything’s as rosy as it seems.
AI in Hollywood isn’t just a sci-fi plot point anymore; it’s already embedded in production, from dubbing to storyboarding. Studios love AI for its cost-cutting potential, but here’s the rub: it’s also threatening jobs. The storyboarding sector is drying up faster than you can say “superhero sequel.” Sure, AI can do some fancy tricks, but remember, every technological leap has its losers, and this time, it’s the folks who used to sketch out your favorite movie scenes.
The Hollywood labor market is feeling the squeeze, too. Workers are uneasy, and for good reason. AI’s advancements might mean studios’ profits soar, while the labor force pays the price. Some directors might be embracing AI with open arms, but for many in the trenches, it’s a storm cloud on the horizon.
Now, on to AI’s impact on misinformation. Large language models (LLMs) are only as smart as their data sources, and when the internet is your library, you’re bound to ingest a fair share of garbage. These chatbots can spit out misinformation with alarming confidence. The problem? Misleading info can snowball, especially in critical areas like healthcare. AI companies should be scrambling to put up guardrails, but with the speed of development, don’t hold your breath.
Let’s pivot to Mozilla and Firefox. They stand out for not being Google, but financial pressures are mounting. Mozilla’s reliance on Google for funding is under threat from antitrust actions, and they’re making cuts to stay afloat. They’ve scrapped services like Pocket and Fakespot, reminding us that even tech altruists have to balance the books. AI is the next frontier for browsers, but developing this tech is costly, and Mozilla faces an uphill battle to innovate while maintaining its mission.
Finally, the hardware bottlenecks. NVIDIA’s GPUs are the gold standard for AI, but demand is through the roof, and supply chain issues are a real threat. Electricity constraints are another bottleneck, as data centers guzzle power. The push for renewable energy adds another layer of complexity, with local opposition to data center projects growing. It’s a classic case of progress meeting resistance.
As for the Jony Ive and Sam Altman team-up, it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll roll out. The smart money is on a sleek, portable device, but whether it’ll be revolutionary or just another gizmo remains to be seen. In this fast-changing landscape, caution is your best friend. Stay skeptical, stay informed, and never bet the farm on the next big thing until it proves its worth.
