James Cameron told Gates AI that it’s ‘hard to write science fiction’

The conversation was featured in the first episode of the billionaire’s Netflix series, What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates,” which was released Wednesday. Gates sat down with Cameron, the acclaimed director behind “Terminator,” “Titanic” and “Avatar,” for the episode titled “What Can AI Do for Us/to Us?”

The rapid development of artificial intelligence has generated excitement about new frontiers of discovery, as well as dire warnings about the risks of business disruptions, misinformation and security threats.

Some technology and business leaders they have asked for regulation and issued dire warnings about emerging technology.

While such warnings might seem “banl,” Cameron said he’s seen this movie before.

“Let me give you an example of the last great symbol of unheeded warnings: the Titanic. Steaming at full speed into the night, thinking, “We’ll only turn back if we see an iceberg,” is not a good way to sail a ship. “

Cameron, known for his sci-fi stakes and his own scientific exploration, is concerned that people are putting their trust in machines and losing their critical sense of purpose, he told Gates.

“I think we’re going to get to a point where we’re relying more and more on machines without humans in the loop, and that can be problematic,” Cameron said. “As we take people out of the loop, what are we replacing their sense of purpose and meaning with?”

The director behind “The Terminator” compared the AI ​​takeover phenomenon to a person with early-onset dementia losing their physical and mental capabilities and sense of self.

“They give up control and what do you get? You get anger. You get fear and anxiety. You get depressed because you know it’s not going to get better. It’s going to be progressive,” Cameron said. “If we want AI to thrive and be channeled into productive uses, how can we ease this anxiety? I think that should be the challenge of the AI ​​community right now.”