“If artificial intelligence can be superior to us, what does that mean for our identity?” An AI researcher poses that question in the documentary More Human Than Human, putting into words a theme that runs as an undercurrent throughout the movie.
The film, co-directed by Femke Wolting and Tommy Pallotta – a longtime Richard Linklater collaborator – undertakes this inquiry at a time when the debate over artificial intelligence is entering the mainstream. There are over 40 panels and sessions relating to AI at SXSW 2018, so Pallotta and Wolting’s film lands at an opportune time. The duo avoids the apocalyptic or utopian visions promised by critics and proponents of AI research, instead favoring a grounded approach to examining human identity in a world full of supermachines.
Although the film does not shy away from the frightening and inspiring possibilities of an AI-filled future, it shows more interest in the human question. For instance, the filmmakers deploy a novel device to gauge the ability of AI in a critical aspect of human identity: artistic expression. They partner with a robotics company to develop an AI-driven system capable of creating a documentary film. The system is taught how to operate a camera, recognize facial and speech patterns and to interview subjects. The film culminates in a final test of the system, in which Pallotta is interviewed – fully autonomously – by the Cambot. The project yields surprising results and serves as the backbone to the film’s overarching exploration of AI, as well as an illustration of what makes humans unique.
More Human Than Human can’t predict what will happen to civilization when AI inevitably surpasses human intelligence, but what it can do – and what it does with profound effectiveness – is reassure audiences that we should not take our humanity for granted.
A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.
