Danny Boyle Defends Journalists Amid AI Growth
Trainspotting director Danny Boyle has spoken out against the growth of AI in the journalistic world, voicing his deep concerns about what the overreliance on Artificial Intelligence will mean for journalists and the objective truth in reporting. The director shared his stance at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where his latest film, Ink, a biographical drama about the UK’s newspaper world, just had its debut.
“Journalism is one of the great uprights of any civilisation,” the 28 Days Later director stated. “There are those who stand up and speak truth to power. To have those people in society is really important.”
Boyle additionally cited the “danger” that is “the tech giants and their AI“, which he fears “will be able to replace journalism” if allowed to. He also addressed the issue that companies will get their hands on an “AI journalist who’s much more efficient, cheaper.”
Will that AI journalist speak truth to that power that’s created it?” the director then asked. “That’s going to be very tough and interesting.”
The filmmaker also spoke out against another necessary career field that will change under the growing overreliance on AI, citing teachers and academics as additional targets of Artificial Intelligence’s growth and power.
“Teachers are another one of those tentpoles that hold up our society, and teachers can be replaced as well by AI. It’s insane what we’re doing,” he added. “Where’s the village that we all need? And within that village, there are truth tellers who aren’t popular sometimes because what they say is unpopular.”
Boyle mentioned that he aims for his latest release, Ink, to prompt reflection and discussion on AI’s looming power over industries, creation and control, given its portrayal of the print world in the past.
”I hope Ink throws up questions like that about the future, what we’re ploughing into,” the director explained.
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Ink is the director’s fifteenth feature starring Jack O’Connell as The Sun’s editor and former editor for The Daily Mirror, Larry Lamb. The film is adapted from the James Graham play of the same name, which premiered in London in 2017, with Graham penning the script himself. Additional cast members include Guy Pearce as Rupert Murdoch, who comes to own The Sun, Claire Foy, Blake Harrison, Patrick Kennedy, Angus Imrie, Brian Gleeson, Bertie Carvel, Jonathon Hyde, Lucy Russell and Christopher Fuford.
Boyle has shared how “there are lots of people who like The Sun and lots of people who don’t”, and has assured the film, like the play it is based on, “doesn’t monsterise Rupert Murdoch”.
“At the time [Murdoch] represented a breath of fresh air in what was a very rigid British society, and was dealing with a lot of prejudice against him as an Australian. I can understand that,” the filmmaker said. “He particularly had a loathing for the British establishment, which I personally share as well. So you find ways into it.”
“We hope the film is a lot of fun because it was important to us that the audience felt complicit, that we were all complicit in this journey to begin with,” he concluded.
The film is also due to appear at the 70th London Film Festival in October.
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival runs from 2nd September to 12th September.
The 70th London Film Festival runs from 7th October to 18th October.
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