‘NO LIFE EXPERIENCE’

No, Steven Soderbergh Isn’t Even a Little Scared of AI

“It’s never been hungover. It’s never made a meal for anybody it loved... I’m not afraid of it. It’s just another tool.”

AI might be a growing boogeyman for writers everywhere, but Steven Soderbergh, at least, is not intimidated. When asked by Variety during a recent interview whether he’s afraid of AI replacing writers, the director replied, “I may be the Neville Chamberlain of this subject, but I am not afraid of AI in this specific context. It has no life experience. It’s never been hungover. It’s never made a meal for anybody it loved.” As the Writers Guild of America negotiates for protections against AI, the threat of innovations like ChatGPT has taken center stage. But Soderbergh had no trouble explaining why AI can’t replicate the real thing. “It’s never been scared walking home late at night,” he said. “It’s never felt insecure because somebody that it went to high school with 20 years ago has become incredibly successful. I’m not afraid of it. It’s just another tool.” Soderbergh is not the only accomplished screenwriter to roast AI lately, either; during a recent interview with NPR, The Wire creator David Simon said he’d rather “put a gun in my mouth” than use AI to help his writing.