Actor and documentarian Alex Winter has criticised much of the anti-AI movement as uninformed, saying most criticism is “really fucking dumb” from people who “have no idea what they’re talking about”, whilst revealing he has been planning an AI documentary for approximately five years.
During the writers’ and actors’ strikes held in part over AI protections, Winter acted as an interlocutor, running Zoom consortiums for guild members with AI technologists, academics, copyright lawyers and patent experts, reports the Guardian.
“Most of the criticism is really fucking dumb, like people who are out there saying, ‘I’m a leader in the anti-AI charge, and we have to create this law or that’, and they just have no idea what they’re talking about and none of it is ever going to work,” Winter said in an interview.
Winter, known for directing documentaries on topics including Napster, Bitcoin, the Panama Papers and YouTube, says he hasn’t made the AI documentary yet because “it’s moving so fast”. He is not anti-regulation, more pro accurate and clear information, and certainly anti-huckster, noting that whilst there are “a lot of smart people in this space” with “good morals”, this does not include OpenAI’s Sam Altman.
“Enormous amount of carnage”
“The reality of it is there will be an enormous amount of carnage on the way to things being OK. In every area, from Hollywood to climate to journalism, people are getting fired all over the place. They’re not getting replaced by a robot. They’re just not getting replaced,” Winter said.
Winter’s previous documentaries have explored technology’s impact on society, including Downloaded about Napster, Deep Web about the dark web, Trust Machine about Bitcoin and blockchain, and The YouTube Effect in 2022, which traced the video-sharing platform’s arc from cute novelty to conspiracy theory machine.
The actor is currently starring alongside Keanu Reeves in a Broadway revival of Waiting for Godot, whilst his latest film as director, Adulthood, has been released. Winter has been a chronicler of the internet’s maturation throughout his documentary career, long pursuing rangy nonfiction interests as a documentarian.
Economic stress, job displacement and the impact of AI on creative industries remain central concerns for Winter, who organised anti-Musk Tesla Takedown protests earlier this year and has never been shy about his political affiliations.
