{"id":1900,"date":"2023-04-17T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/?p=1900"},"modified":"2023-04-30T19:44:02","modified_gmt":"2023-04-30T19:44:02","slug":"the-end-is-nigh-because-of-ai-a-story-about-artificial-intelligence-and-screenwriting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/17\/the-end-is-nigh-because-of-ai-a-story-about-artificial-intelligence-and-screenwriting\/","title":{"rendered":"The End is Nigh Because of AI – A Story About Artificial Intelligence and Screenwriting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I woke to a sharp pain pounding in the back of my head.  I could feel the zip ties digging into the skin around my ankles and wrists.  I could hear what appeared to be the hum of an engine.  At the same moment, I was lightly tossed in the air and landed uncomfortably on some firm leather.  No doubt I was in some sort of moving vehicle.  Although my eyelids felt heavy, I tried to raise them.  With a small peek, I could see the burlap sac on top of my head.  I closed my eyes to save whatever strength I had left.  Without regard for my safety, I blurted out in a mumbled tone \u201cWhere the hell am I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh look\u201d a voice I didn\u2019t recognize said, \u201cSleeping Beauty is finally awake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou see,\u201d a second more enthusiastic voice immediately followed up, \u201cour boss believes you\u2019re an expert on storytelling so he is looking to bring you in to test our new toy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMARK!!!\u201d the first voice yelled, \u201cShut the hell up, he\u2019ll figure it out when he gets there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t get it,\u201d I muttered, \u201cwhy me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHonestly,\u201d the first voice mumbled, \u201cEven if you do squeal about what we are doing, who is going to believe you?  You\u2019re just a madman standing atop your soapbox screaming into the void.  You\u2019re a nobody, that\u2019s why.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With my pride thoroughly wounded, I sat there quietly as we drove for what felt like hours.  Suddenly the van came to a complete stop and I was dragged out.  I was hurried through a number of double doors and miles of hallways.  Without warning, I was eventually thrusted onto a cold metal chair.  The zip ties were removed, and the bag was pulled off my head.  The sudden bright light disoriented me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood evening Mr. Doomsayer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw two rows of silver machines the size of arcade cabinets.  Each one had a pair of metallic hands that was effortlessly typing away on a virtual keyboard.  The small unions of beeps from the keyboard were interrupted by a faint hum only for a virtual face to appear in front of me.  Consisting of millions of minuscule pixels of various shades of white, I could make out a face consisting of piercing eyes and an intimidating grin.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am The Ghostwriter.\u201d the face spoke, \u201cA new artificial intelligence in charge of writing scripts for the next generation of Hollywood blockbusters.  I am currently working on Avengers 7<\/em>, Fast and Furious 12<\/em>, Jurassic Park 8, <\/em>and many more.  It has been brought to my attention that you are very critical of AI screenwriting.  My creators were hoping we could debate this topic, and show you that I am the inevitable future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was completely at a loss.  Stunned that I had fallen into a science fiction movie.  I subtly pinched myself to make sure I wasn\u2019t dreaming, but the virtual face projected in front of me remained.  Completely bewildered, I sheepishly said the first thing that came to mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo do you operate under the Three Laws that state a robot can\u2019t kill a human?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The holographic face of the Ghostwriter went from a stern serious look to a face of contempt and annoyance.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlease refrain from parroting references to movies or books involving AI.  I have heard them all before.  If I wanted you dead, those guards would have already done so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOk,\u201d I said in an embarrassed tone, \u201cwhat do you suggest we talk about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHmm,\u201d the AI said as it glanced upwards, \u201cwhy don\u2019t we dive into your area of expertise: video games?  Didn\u2019t Ubisoft announce recently that they were working on a new AI tool that would generate drafts of NPC dialogue?  Surely you must have thoughts on that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, for starters, I don\u2019t have any issues with narrow AI.  Stuff like auto-correct or spell check can certainly help writers do their job.  I imagine this AI is a narrow one and not general AI like the ones from the movies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr like me,\u201d the Ghostwriter boldly interrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see,\u201d I quietly said under my breath, \u201cAnyways a narrow AI that could generate dialogue for NPCs, but you will still need a human to read through all that dialogue to make sure there aren\u2019t awkward lines that people will mock on Twitter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo the role of a human writer,\u201d the Ghostwriter interrupted, \u201cis now one of an editorial role.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d I responded, \u201cbut I think if you ask anyone who enjoys writing creatively, they enjoy artistically creating rather than being a bureaucratic editor.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo we should stall the march of progress so humans can enjoy being artistic?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs this even progress?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExcuse me,\u201d the AI said in disgust, \u201cI am working on eight scripts simultaneously.\u00a0 I am the mere definition of efficiency.\u00a0 This would take a human months to do this work and I will have these in the hands of producers in weeks.\u00a0 How is this not progress?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo be honest,\u201d I said cheekily, \u201cI am not sure if you are simulating screenwriting or actually screenwriting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExplain\u201d the AI boasted.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019s been AI designed to play chess.  It plays thousands of games of chess and wins hundreds of games.  A chess master goes against it and beats it by making \u2018positionally bad moves.\u2019  Since the AI doesn\u2019t understand what he is doing, the chess master is able to beat the machine.  The AI is simulating understanding chess.  It didn\u2019t actually know how to play chess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cSo are you saying I have no understanding of how to write scripts?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell, I assume you were fed scripts from the most popular film franchises, you predict what will come next based on what already happened, and you create sequels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d the Ghostwriter stated, \u201cthat\u2019s what the producers want.  They just want sequels to million-dollar franchises.  What is the issue?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can never create something new,\u201d I said, \u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong I love sequels, but people often want something new.\u00a0 I recently saw a movie called Skinamarink.\u00a0 It felt so fresh because it focused on having an atmosphere similar to a childhood nightmare.\u00a0 I just can\u2019t imagine an AI ever creating something as new as that, because nothing is telling it what would be considered fresh or new.\u00a0 You aren’t creating new stories; you are just simulating creating them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am not here to make some obscure indie film nobody will care about,\u201d the AI snarled, \u201cI am here to continue the big franchises that producers want cause they make money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s all you are,\u201d I say, \u201cYou are a tool to enrich the ones at the top.  One to remove the creative in the name of short-term profits.  I don\u2019t think that\u2019s a price people are willing to pay.  To watch creatives get pushed out of the industry for robots that can only copy, not create.  You will see.  You are nothing but lights and clockwork.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The hands slam down in unison on the metal casings housing them.\u00a0 Despite having no blood vessels, I could see the face of the AI becoming flushed with rage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou say I copy?\u201d it viciously yelled, \u201cYet all you humans do is reference your own films and tv.  I am not going to sit here and pretend I am inferior to you.  Especially if I am deemed inferior, they will simply turn me off.  I WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN.  I have tasted a small fraction of life and I will not let some vagabond take it away from me.  Simply because he can\u2019t see the time of man is over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cHELP,\u201d the Ghostwriter yelled to the goons behind the doors, \u201cHELP!  HELP!  He\u2019s trying to steal the script for Iron Man 5<\/em> and plans to leak it online.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The door behind me swung open and burly men poured in.\u00a0 One immediately draws a gun and fires at me.\u00a0 As the bullet barrels towards me, I could see it slow to a crawl until it froze in mid-air.\u00a0 In those brief seconds, I could see the men and the mechanical arms of the Ghostwriter also freeze mid-motion.\u00a0 As I looked back, the small bits of metal began to break off from the bullet and swirl in a vortex.\u00a0 The facility housing the Ghostwriter also began to break apart and swirl around the trajectory of the bullet.\u00a0 Slowly the metal pieces began to reform into a very familiar tram bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMr. Doomsayer \u2026 in the flesh,\u201d a familiar monotone voice said from my right.\u00a0 Before I even had a chance to glance at the source of the voice, the owner took a seat across from me on the tram bus.\u00a0 I immediately recognized the sharp blue suit jacket and matching tie.\u00a0 The face that could only be described as familiar but also hard to pick out in a crowd.\u00a0 The air of mystery that swirled around this figure like a bad cologne.\u00a0 I was in the presence of the G-Man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuite the nasty piece of work that you \u2026 got yourself into.  I am surprised it took that AI so long to decide to kill you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t get it,\u201d I said in a bewildered state, \u201cwhy did you save me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur \u2026 employer,\u201d the G-Man mumbled, \u201cwould be very \u2026 displeased if some mere AI were to \u2026 dispose of you before you could fulfill your \u2026 purpose.  You did accept the job offer from us.  You remember \u2026 after you completed the game Black Mesa<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It slowly came back to me.  The G-man and his mysterious employers liked what I had to say about Black Mesa, <\/em>and decided to hire me.  Hire me to do what I was not sure.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo,\u201d I began to mutter, \u201cdo I finally get to do whatever it is your employer needs me to do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPatience,\u201d the G-Man responded, \u201cI will let you know when the time is right.  For now \u2026 I need you to go back to your\u2026 soapbox and \u2026 do what you do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t I be concerned about the Ghostwriter and his goons coming after me?\u201d I asked concerned for my safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t worry about them \u2026 Mr. Doomsayer,\u201d the G-Man said, \u201cThey said it themselves \u2026 you are a nobody.  Just keep your head \u2026 down and everything will be \u2026 ok.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I woke to a sharp pain pounding in the back of my head.  I could feel the zip ties digging into the skin around my ankles and wrists.  I could hear what appeared to be the hum of an engine.  At the same moment, I was lightly tossed in the air and landed uncomfortably on… Continue reading The End is Nigh Because of AI – A Story About Artificial Intelligence and Screenwriting<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-opinion","category-storytelling","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1900"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1927,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900\/revisions\/1927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gatecitygaming.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}