When J. Robert Oppenheimer learned that Hiroshima had been hit, he had begun to deeply regret his role in creating that bomb. At one point, while meeting with Harry S. Truman, then President of the United States, Oppenheimer wept and expressed his grief.
For those in a hurry:
Truman called him a crybaby and said he never wanted to see him again. And Christopher Nolan hopes that when people in Silicon Valley watch “Oppenheimer” – which hits theaters this Thursday (20th) – they too will see something of themselves in it.
Notice to ‘Oppenheimer’
Following the screening of “Oppenheimer” at The Whitby Hotel over the weekend, Nolan joined a group of scientists and Kai Bird, one of the authors of the biographical book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.” from which the film is based), to talk about the film.
There were brief debates about the success of the nuclear deterrent, and Thom Mason, the current director of Los Alamos, talked about how many current lab workers had cameos in the film, because so much of it was filmed nearby.
But near the end of the conversation, the moderator, Chuck Todd of Meet the Press, asked Nolan what he hoped Silicon Valley would learn from the film.
I think about what I would like them to take away [do filme] is the concept of responsibility. When you innovate through technology, you need to make sure there’s accountability The rise of companies over the past 15 years talking about words like “algorithm” without knowing what they mean in any meaningful mathematical sense. They just don’t want to take responsibility for what that algorithm does.
Christopher Nolan, director of “Oppenheimer”
The director referenced a wide variety of technological innovations embraced by Silicon Valley, while these same companies refused to acknowledge the damage they repeatedly caused.
Artificial intelligence
The director went on to say that this reasoning applied to AI (artificial intelligence) “is a terrible and terrifying possibility”.
After all, as AI systems make their way into defense infrastructure, they will be loaded with nuclear weapons. And if we allow people to say that this is a separate entity from the person who wields, programs and uses AI, then we are doomed. It has to be about accountability. We need to hold people accountable for what they do with the tools they have.
Christopher Nolan, director of “Oppenheimer”
While Nolan wasn’t referring to any specific company, it’s not hard to figure out what he’s talking about.
Companies like Meta, Google, and Microsoft rely heavily on algorithms to acquire and retain their audience. And there are often unforeseen and often horrific results in that trust.
Now, while an apology tour is practically guaranteed days after a company’s algorithm does something terrible, the algorithms remain.
Threads, for example, recently launched with an exclusively algorithmic feed.
Occasionally, companies may provide a tool, like Facebook did, to shut you down. But the black box of these algorithms remains, with too little discussion of all the possible bad outcomes and too much discussion of the good ones.
When I talk to leading AI researchers, they literally refer to this now as their “Oppenheimer moment.” They are looking to history to tell what are the responsibilities of scientists who develop new technologies that may have unintended consequences.
Christopher Nolan, director of “Oppenheimer”
With information from The limit
The post Christopher Nolan Wants “Oppenheimer” to Be a Wake-up Call for Silicon Valley first appeared on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
