In the film "The Roadrunner," director Morgan Neville sparked a heated debate about the ethical boundaries of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly with his use of AI to recreate the voice of the late chef Anthony Bourdain. Looking back, Neville viewed this technology as an "interesting" way to keep Bourdain's voice alive in the movie. However, his approach drew considerable criticism, with viewers questioning, "Didn't they just piece together a few sentences?"
Neville revealed that many have told him about other documentary projects attempting similar techniques, with mixed reactions, leading either to revised plans or prominent warnings at the beginning of the films. Since then, he has decided to steer clear of AI. Even in his new film "A Piece of the Puzzle," the director is extremely cautious, adamantly ensuring that AI does not play a role. The film tells the story of musician Pharrell, which might sound a bit odd, but he uses Lego blocks to present the narrative.
In this new film, when Carl Sagan mentions Pharrell, Neville emphasizes that he obtained consent from Pharrell's widow to piece together the quote using authentic audio, rather than synthesizing it with AI. Neville aims to present everything as authentically as possible, avoiding the troublesome interference of AI.
In summary, Neville's attitude towards AI is like an ant on a hot stove, preferring to tread carefully rather than risk dealing with it again.
