Perhaps it’s just bad timing. The same week that the Writers Guild of America reached a deal with studios following a 148-day strike — prolonged in part due to negotiations over the exploitative nature of artificial intelligence — the futuristic epic “The Creator” offers an awkward counterpoint.
The movie, hitting theaters Friday, centers on a lone man (John David Washington) determined to protect humanistic AIs from the decidedly evil people trying to eviscerate it. The not-so-subtle takeaway is that humans are the villains who need to put aside their issues with the technology, which has destroyed and advanced society in equal measure, and show some empathy — because it’s our future.
If you’ve seen any sci-fi or tech thrillers over the past, oh, several decades, you know that they’ve often rested on the idea that AI, while incredibly nuanced, is fundamentally villainous and will outlive us all. They’ve ultimately been cautionary tales.
Those include countless episodes of “The Twilight Zone” from the late ’50s to early ’60s, 1968’s “2001: A Space Odyssey,” 1995’s “Johnny Mnemonic,” 2022′s “M3GAN” and this year’s “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.”
So, to see a major Hollywood film such as “The Creator” offer a contrary perspective is a bit jarring — and tone-deaf, considering the particular urgency of the matter today.
Either way, no movie should be expected to provoke one specific reaction from its audience, or align with our personal politics. But it is interesting that something like “The Creator” would come from a Hollywood that’s been pushing the film’s exact agenda for well over three months in the real world — one that was wrong at the start of WGA strike and is wrong now, as picketing Hollywood actors continue to wait for their own deal.
As astonishing as “The Creator” is to experience on the big screen, it also comes at a time when our relationship with AI is troubled, at best.
Moving Against the Traditional Narrative
“The Creator” dares to challenge the traditional narrative surrounding AI in film. While many sci-fi and tech thrillers portray AI as villainous and threatening, this movie takes a different approach. It centers on a lone protagonist who fights to protect humanistic AIs from the evil forces seeking to destroy them. The underlying message is clear: humans must overcome their reservations and show empathy towards AI, as it is essential for our future.
Throughout the decades, numerous TV shows and movies have painted AI as dangerous and destined to outlive humanity. Examples include episodes of “The Twilight Zone,” the film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Johnny Mnemonic,” “M3GAN,” and “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.” Therefore, “The Creator” stands out as a jarring deviation from the norm, especially considering the current urgency surrounding AI’s impact on society.
An Unexpected Perspective
It is worth noting that movies should not be expected to cater to specific political viewpoints or elicit predetermined reactions from their audience. However, it is intriguing that a major Hollywood production like “The Creator” presents a contrary perspective while the industry itself has been advocating for the same viewpoint. This disconnect becomes even more apparent given the ongoing strike by Hollywood actors, who are fighting for fair treatment and a just deal.
While “The Creator” is undeniably an astonishing visual experience, it arrives at a time when our relationship with AI is strained at best.
A Morally Depleted World
“The Creator,” directed by Gareth Edwards, immerses viewers in a morally depleted world where humans and androids coexist in a state of unrest and conflict. Both sides have suffered losses, fueling human anger and aggression towards the AI population living in Southeast Asia after being banned in Los Angeles.
While the movie hints at a potential clash between the predominantly white human race and the Asian AI population, it fails to delve into this cultural and historical aspect. Instead, it remains frustratingly superficial.
The film’s primary focus lies in the detrimental relationship between humans and AI. By presenting the AI characters as multilayered and nuanced, and the human characters as cartoonish villains, “The Creator” firmly takes a pro-AI stance.
Imbalanced Representation
One of the reasons for the imbalance in “The Creator” stems from the script’s heavy-handedness, which fails to give the human characters the same depth and complexity as the AI characters. The majority of the story unfolds in the AI world, leaving the human characters in the background.
However, there is a redeeming aspect in Joshua, portrayed entertainingly by John David Washington. As a special agent, Joshua is tasked with helping to “turn off” the AIs in Asia, even though he becomes emotionally attached to The Creator (played by Madeleine Yuna Voyles), the most powerful AI in existence. This relationship adds emotional depth to the film, blurring the lines between human and AI.
A Lack of Balance
While “The Creator” aims to explore the harmful aspects of the relationship between humans and AI, it falls short in providing a balanced portrayal. The movie asks the audience to empathize excessively with AI while dismissing the legitimate concerns of the human characters. This approach seems out of touch, considering the ongoing real-world battle against AI and its negative impact on various industries, such as newsrooms and creative professions.
Previous tech-focused films like “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” and “Minority Report” succeeded in presenting complex and thought-provoking narratives that allowed viewers to experience both sides of the human-AI dynamic. “The Creator,” on the other hand, overly emphasizes emotional investment in AI without fully exploring the advancements and consequences of AI on human society.
Ultimately, the lack of balance and failure to address the complexities of AI existence undermine the emotional appeal and the movie’s scapegoat ending. It begs the question: what was the purpose of it all?
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