even the chatbots know they can’t replace us
“cheap replicas are always tempting to people who prefer efficiency to taste.”
pov of the week
Maybe an hour into 007: First Light, “M” delivers a zinger so spot-on it leads me to wonder if the devs at IO Interactive are some kind of fortune tellers. You see, James Bond is a newly minted recruit to MI6, and while taking him through their intelligence systems, “M” contends the agency’s AI-powered quantum computer, THEIA, is often useful for gathering information, but that “knowledge isn’t insight” and nothing compares to the human touch when it comes to spycraft.
How a game that began development in 2019 — three years before ChatGPT became available to the public — could have timed its release during the AI discourse happening literally right now is honestly a lil spooky, if not entirely accurate (though granted it’s a conversation we’ve been having on and off since Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics in 1942).
Three weeks ago, Pope Leo XIV penned his first 43,000-word encyclical titled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity). Many headlines suggested it was the Catholic Church declaring some sort of war against AI and calling for its complete disarmament, but the truth is far more nuanced. He discussed legitimate concerns, including its role in developing weapons of war, destroying the natural environment, and disrupting kids’ early years of development, but also argued that technology should help “relieve humans of arduous, repetitive or dangerous tasks” and “provide intelligent support.” AI should be treated as an addition to, not in replacement of, humans.
Even the chatbots are aware of their own limitations. In a recent “interview” with the New York Times, AI “actor” Tilly Norwood insisted that no, she’s not trying to take other actors’ jobs: “Cheap replicas are always tempting to people who prefer efficiency to taste.” Um ... yeah, exactly that?
So why have we been constantly bombarded with messages that AI is going to replace us, especially when the response to creations like Tilly has been so visceral (the actors’ union scathingly wrote in September: “It has no life experience to draw from, no emotion.”)? It’s really important to think critically about where those messages are coming from.
In March, one of OpenAI’s cofounders, Andrej Karpathy, released a list of jobs that are supposedly most vulnerable to being performed exclusively by artificial intelligence. Well, yes, a cofounder of an AI company would say that, wouldn’t they? If you pull at the threads just a teeny bit, you’ll notice that the only people who’ve consistently said that AI will replace human workers are the ones trying to make money from it: The people who own a stake in it; who’ve built a career off of it somehow, i.e., YouTubers; and the people who need a scapegoat to fire others.
Right now, there’s a hell of a lot of theoretical investments in this game. The billions of funding currently backing AI is paying for data centres that don’t exist yet because they’re on backorder, to satisfy demand for AI that doesn’t exist yet, and those future data centres are soaking up memory, chips, and graphics cards, which, all together now, “don’t exist yet.”
With growing public hostility against AI, implementation costing a fortune and not delivering on how much money it promised to save organisations, how interesting is it that, just a few months after gloating AI was going to replace humans in thousands of industries, tech CEOs are now all walking back those “job apocalypse” warnings? And our mate Andrej? Deleted the aforementioned list, only to restore it with the caveat that it had “no bearing on what actually happens to these occupations.” Maybe someone should’ve reminded him that knowledge isn’t insight. — Soph
Hi, Abbey checking in!! A lot of us, myself included, turn to the internet for help when going through a tough time. So, when life doesn’t go as planned, having access to a safe, anonymous place to chat and get support is not only important, but necessary. With a wide range of options, ReachOut’s free, anonymous support is the first step you can take towards feeling better! You can hear about the valuable resources that ReachOut provides here for the next few weeks. And we can check in with each other by asking have you “been feeling like this?”
A big part of my job relies on confidence — confidence in my research, my interviewing skills, and my ability to work on the fly in a fast-paced environment (which is not always smooth sailing). I’m a stressed gal — and a nervous sweater on the best of days — so when it comes to speaking to people I admire, I need some quick, easy ways to control my nerves and make sure I get the job done… literally.
What do I do if the talent’s a few minutes away, I’ve forgotten all my questions, and I naturally start the negative self-talk? Well, nerve-busting strategies, ways to talk yourself up and tips for improving your self-esteem are all part of ReachOut’s free online advice that provides practical steps in feeling better.
Things like remembering to breathe (I do forget that one), practicing my questions, and looking after myself have been super helpful in building my confidence and easing my nerves. So the next time I feel the nerves start getting the better of me, I can jump online to get support, information and tools to help me manage these feelings for the future.
Want to learn more about ReachOut? Head here for more resources <3
cool shit we’ve done recently:
Talecia and Soph discussed the nuances of parasocialism
Lia chatted w the youngest a24 director Kane Parsons abt Backrooms
Contributor Rory Sale reported on how some uni students are struggling to stay afloat
some things on our radar this week:
Happy Fleece Week to all who celebrate! If your brain is as cooked as mine, you’ve got one eye on an open tab watching the countdown to the Province of Canada’s limited edition fleece jacket inspired by the one Shane Hollander wears to the Olympics in Heated Rivalry. This fkn jacket that sweet little Shanebug (a 6ft tall jacked jock) wore in ep 2 has been developed behind the scenes for the last couple of months and I’m positively fanging to get my hands on one. I’m actually super impressed with the staggered, thoughtful approach to extending the world of Heated Rivalry. I loved the vinyl drop of the physical soundtrack, and I’ve just seen there’s a DVD box set on the way with extra content (long live physical media baby!). While the fleece is front-of-mind, I’m actually the most excited for Jacob’s book coming later this year. I pre-ordered back in April when it was still called Untitled by Anonymous on the Booktopia site. Just yesterday, the official cover art was announced (it’s one of my fave Hollanov pics, I coulda cried). The complete collection of annotated scripts from season 1. I need it like air. — Talecia
Surprise! Mum and Dad got married — and we weren’t invited. I’m not crying, you are. (No fr, tho. Who tF is cutting onions??) I guess it really is the “end of an era” because our girl, miss Dula Peep, is now officially a wifey!! On Monday, I was too stunned to speak when my feed was taken over by the announcement that she and Callum Turner tied the knot (with pics to prove it, ofc). And in true diva fashion, she wore an absolutely gorgeous all-white skirt suit look — whiiiich is, in fact, a reference to the iconic Bianca Jagger’s bridal look. Everything about this is so chic, timeless and sweetly intimate. From their insane meet-cute moment to a surprise lil wedding with the ppl they love most, this is the love story everyone deserves fr — and very parasocially, I’m SO happy for them 🥹. As a longtime Dua Lipa stan, seeing their pure joy reinvigorates my hope that love rly is everywhere, so maybe falling forever really is possible… — Nish
I think like most people, I struggle to listen to celebrity podcasts as they lend to blowing smoke up each other’s ass + they’re often verrrry out of touch. In saying that, Good Hang With Amy Poehler sits as an outlier. Her latest episode with Tom Holland has officially converted me to a sometimes-pro-celeb-podcast-listener and I’m not mad about it. She puts all her guests at ease, which means we get great stories we’ve never heard!! Tom gushed about Zendaya, he spoke about his sobriety, and opened up about his dyslexia like we haven’t experienced before. I mean, she literally met Jonathan Groff the day they shot their episode and they have better chemistry than any Call Her Daddy interview (not too difficult tho). Some people complain about Amy’s pod being “too feel-good”, and to that I say go listen to Joe Rogan if you don’t want feel good babes xx. — Abbey
songs to add to your playlist rn:
It is absolutely criminal this has just over 1,000 streams right now. There’s not much known about BABYKIRA but he’s become this week’s favourite music discovery and I was shocked to find out how few people have listened to this track. His expansive alt-pop style and the gorgeous melodies he pairs with it make me confident his stocks are gonna go through the roof this year. FFO: Frank Ocean, Dijon, and Canada?
IT’S BEEN AWFUL — Isaiah Rashad
The blog-era of hip-hop is aging like fine wine rn w Vince Staples, Action Bronson, and now TDE artist Isaiah Rashad all dropping some of their best work. The central themes of IT’S BEEN AWFUL explores his family trauma, addiction and his sexuality in his most “legibly honest” project yet. But at its core, it’s an album about hard-earned growth. AOTY discussions are a given but I’m really here to tell you that ‘AIN’T GIVIN’ UP’ is a top 3 Zay song. Interview otw.
Olivia Escuyos is always making sure we ‘GET RIGHT!’ Wasting no time after releasing her debut album, Yours Truly, the new single from the Melbourne-raised artist is so unbelievably silky. Her vocals and their production are A1, please stand up and dance for Aus RNB excellence.
(Save this playlist btw, updating every week!!)
Backrooms (2026) | the buzz of fluorescent lighting continues to haunt me
What a run for YouTuber-turned-directors making their mark on the horror genre. After indie wins like Iron Lung from Markiplier and Obsession from Curry Barker, Backrooms continues to demonstrate how online success can not only translate to box office numbers, but also in highlighting a genre too often overlooked by some people in high places. Taking this viral liminal horror concept to the big screen, 20-year-old director Kane Parsons was the best person for the job. Though the concept is still admittedly a little too abstract for me, as someone who prefers a goofy slasher over an introspective thriller, those who were captivated by the original, liminal dread of Backrooms certainly have plenty to admire in its cinematic evolution. Full interview linked above!
Colony (2026) | modern zombie problems require modern solutions
Another zombie bites the dust in South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho’s growing zombie cinematic universe. Set in a high-rise office and retail building during a fancy biochemical conference, I was immediately concerned about how the dwindling survivors would navigate their way out because I regularly get lost in Westfield on a good day. While Colony didn’t make any groundbreaking moves to the zombie genre, it made some interesting commentary on the pitfalls of herd mentality and collectivist culture, which director Sang-ho raised during an interview with Junkee. Keep an eye out for the full interview soon.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 1 (2023-4) | a slow and steady boost of serotonin
Like a little sweet treat after a run of cortisol-spiking movies, Frieren is like a pastel-coloured kiss on the forehead, with the occasional emotional whiplash just to keep things interesting. Frieren, our titular Elven mage, boasts a surprisingly apathetic view on adventure for a fantasy main character, due to her long and storied lifespan. She takes on a new apprentice and a few more important characters to form a new party, as she also reminisces about her previous companions who, generations ago, restored peace to the land and returned to their lives. It’s a ridiculously charming, much more measured take on the fantasy adventure genre I’m more familiar with, quickly becoming part of my wind-down routine. Planning to stretch this one out over weeks of quiet evenings and remind myself to slow down and appreciate life’s little moments of magic.
Junkee Media acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where this newsletter was produced, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
