As a creative, I am constantly worrying myself with questions about artificial intelligence. Will my job be obsolete one day? Can AI as we know it ever be regulated in a way that serves both forward-thinking developers and artists? Will AI develop a voice singular and humorous enough to replace a gorgeous, young entertainment critic, who has stunning features that stop cars on the street and send rubbernecking cyclists smashing into trees? The answers are out there, and no one is more qualified than has more convincingly rendered effects.) But Lopez brings her usual charisma and passion to the role, making even the schlockiest of movies watchable. Liu, however, ironically delivers all of his lines like a collection of supervillain catchphrases fed to an AI program with his voice.
And though you may see people quip that Atlas’ script also seems like it was written by AI, the reality is so much darker. Besides that joke being overused, it’s also untrue. At least AI programs like ChatGPT make enough dumb mistakes to chalk their faults up to machine error. But Atlas is a movie made by humans, ones who thought they had a good enough idea to pour millions of dollars into its conception. In a moment when everyone is legitimately concerned about the role that AI will play in our lives going forward, creating such a limp, insecure film that deals directly with the subject, yet says absolutely nothing about it, isn’t just a waste of money. It’s a waste of valuable time.
