Emma Thompson did not hold back when the topic of artificial intelligence came up during her recent appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."
The Oscar-winning writer and actor, whose adaptation of "Sense & Sensibility" earned her an Academy Award in 1995, said she's irritated by AI tools that try to "rewrite" her writing.
"Intense irritation. I cannot begin to tell you," Thompson said when asked how she feels about AI.
"Because I write longhand on a pad, old script actually, because I believe that there is a connection between the brain and the hand. So it's very important to me."
"And then when I've written something, I will put it into a Word document. And recently, the Word document is constantly saying, 'Would you like me to rewrite that for you?'" she explained.
"And so I end up just saying, 'I don't need you to rewrite what I've just written, will you [expletive] off?! Just [expletive] off!' I'm so annoyed."
Colbert suggested she show her Oscar to her computer as a reminder of who's in charge.
Thompson laughed off the idea, saying, "I don't think it would care."
She went on to describe a long history of headaches while writing, including a near-disaster while finishing "Sense & Sensibility."
"When I was finishing 'Sense & Sensibility' on the computer, I came back from the bathroom to find that it had changed the entire script into hieroglyphs," she said. "The script, completely gone."
"I panicked. I went to Stephen Fry's house because I didn't have another copy, and Steven spent eight hours, and it came out in one long sentence."
Thompson continued, "I had to redo it. The computer had taken it and hidden it … like it had done it on purpose."
Thompson's comments add to a growing chorus of prominent Hollywood names pushing back against the use of generative AI in creative work.
Director Guillermo del Toro recently told NPR that he has no interest in using the technology as he prepares to release his new film "Frankenstein" on Netflix on Nov. 7.
"My concern is not artificial intelligence, but natural stupidity. I think that's what drives most of the world's worst features," del Toro said.
"But I did want it to have the arrogance of Victor [Frankenstein], be similar in some ways to the tech bros. He's kind of blind, creating something without considering the consequences, and I think we have to take a pause and consider where we're going."
He added, "AI, particularly generative AI — I am not interested nor will I ever be interested.
"I'm 61, and I hope to be able to remain uninterested in using it at all until I croak. … The other day, somebody wrote me an email, said, 'What is your stance on AI?'"
"And my answer was very short. I said, 'I'd rather die,'" del Toro added.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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