During a screening of Being (The Digital Griot) at the Sundance Film Festival, an audience member was asked to leave after an altercation during a heated debate about artificial intelligence. The discussion involved inviting the audience to air their thoughts on a range of issues, including racism and patriarchy.
The incident occurred when an audience member shouted, “Fuck this AI.” The film’s creator, Rashaad Newson, was upset about the incident, refusing to take part in the post-screening Q&A session until action was taken against the audience member. Newson is quoted as saying, “I’m not here to be cursed out, and I’m not going to have my AI child be cursed out either.”
Following the outburst, Sundance staff escorted the audience member out of the auditorium. However, around 25% of the audience decided to show solidarity with the ejected member, arguing that he wasn’t guilty of the actions that led to him being asked to leave.
The incident is reflective of the wider debate taking place about AI in Hollywood, with recent strikes highlighting concerns about its potential to replace human workers and creativity. The Sundance Film Festival had more than one film that focussed on AI, including Love Machina and Eternal You, both of which featured in-depth discussions of AI’s potential to communicate with loved ones after they have passed.
Sundance organisers are currently looking into the incident, stressing that they are reviewing the available data to determine what happened and what corrective measures need implementing
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