Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Sometimes we fight against something with all our might only to discover that are foe is ourselves and what we do everyday.

As I write this, there is a writer’s strike in Hollywood. Note, I am not in Hollywood writing this as a writer who is on a writer’s strike. Now that I have cleared that up, let me continue.

One of the central issues in the writer’s strike and in all lines of work in Hollywood is the work that AI software can do. This new software, with a little help from real intelligence from people, can write scripts for jingles and commercials and TV episodes and even full-length movies. Then this new software can create the appearance of human actors with just the right look and just the right voice and just the right wardrobe. And the the software can create the sets out of thin air. And then the new software puts all this stuff it created onto a video ready for distribution to the world for entertainment. And, by the way, those who are entertained give money to those who created the entertainment.

The folks in the entertainment business are upset that new software will create things that don’t exist for our entertainment.

Oh, uh, er, wait a minute. “Create things that don’t exist for our entertainment.” Hasn’t Hollywood been doing that for a hundred years or so? Didn’t Shakespeare do that? Didn’t the court jesters do that 5,000 years ago or something or other?

Washing the dishes isn’t entertaining. Seeing someone wash the dishes on a star ship while battling bad guys with light sabres on a 50-foot screen with Dolby stereo sound blasters with a thousand dancers in flashy costumes… now THAT IS ENTERTAINING. It doesn’t really exist, and that is why it is entertaining.

What is wrong with those Hollywood folks? Don’t they realize they are fighting against what they do?

Those of us who program computers are programming computers to program themselves so that those who use computers won’t have to talk to those who program computers because the folks who program computers are difficult and nerdy and … are us. Wait a minute.

Those of us who write news stories belittle those in power who make lots of mistakes that make life difficult for us and who should be replaced by people who don’t make mistakes so that we won’t have any news stories to write that belittle those in power and … Wait a minute. If our stories came true, we wouldn’t have a job.

I could continue with silly examples of how silly we often act. We can be fighting ourselves and what we do everyday.

Solution? Think. Examine our words and actions. We can all do better. Let’s try.