By Chris Snellgrove | Published
New Spider-Man: A New Day the trailers emphasized how much the titular hero has grown. As he deals with a mutant body, a host of villains, and even a confrontation with the Incredible Hulk, one thing is certain: Peter Parker is no longer a child. The same can be said for Tom Holland, the man behind the mask. He was only 19 when he entered the MCU Captain America: Civil War. Now, the actor is 30 years old, and life has changed a lot for him. Some of the changes are great, like the interaction with Spider-Man costar Zendaya; some are bad, like his receding hairline.
This has been on my mind ever since I watched Tom Holland's appearance in Spain El Hormiguero talk show. Psychologically, I know Tom Holland is older, closer to middle age than his teenage years. But when the actor talked about the topic of AI, he seemed as naive as any child. The actor said, “I feel protected” because artificial intelligence does not understand emotional expression or “the difference between happiness and sadness.” While Holland talked about the importance of creativity and passion when it comes to filmmaking, he also overlooked a basic fact: as a masked action star, he may be the most replaceable actor of all time!
Spider-Man Vs. Ultron
When he came El HormigueroTom Holland was blunt about AI, something he described as “soulless.” When it comes to producing AI, the Spider-Man actor said, “Art is safe from AI because art is related to human experience.” Continuing, he said that creativity is “about feelings, it's about mutual understanding.”
The Marvel icon then grew philosophical about the limitations of this new technology. “AI can analyze data, but it can't understand human emotions. It can't understand the difference between happiness and sadness.” Comparing his work to another form of music altogether, Holland concluded his thoughts: “The way artists paint, it's not about what they copy, it's about expressing themselves. So I feel protected.”
To be clear, I fully agree with Holland that AI has no soul and that the creations made of it will never have the same spark as human creations. Furthermore, I agree with his position that creativity is about sharing and enjoying what people have to say. However, the problem is that Spider-Man: A New Day The star is completely focused on what he and other like-minded people would or wouldn't buy, namely, that they wouldn't buy an AI-powered product. However, Holland would do well to focus less on what he doesn't buy and more on what Hollywood sells.
Copy and Paste Characters
Hollywood is fascinated by AI for the same reason that countless CEOs are fascinated by it: they think they'll make more money by hiring fewer people. This means a few artists, effects gurus, and editors. It also means fewer characters; like, one of the biggest things the SAG actors were on strike about was defending themselves from AI releases. Tom Holland, bless his soul, thinks he's safe from the takeover of this technology, but that's not true. If you have any doubts about that, just check out the growing army of fan-made Spider-Man videos with AI.
Spider-Man is very easy to recreate with AI because half of his movies are action scenes featuring a masked hero. It is not difficult to reveal Holland and others were revealed, either; and, a quick check of existing AI fan videos proves that. Admittedly, all these fan videos are nowhere near the quality of the worst Marvel movie. So, Holland is right that AI-generated things will never be as good as human-made things. Where he's wrong, however, is that he doesn't think all major studios will try to use AI whenever possible, including with actors if they can't get away with it, because they're gambling no one will notice.
Pull the plug, Spidey
Given the choice, most moviegoers will avoid AI-assisted movies. That's why some directors are looking for an AI rating system that could (like Steam does for PC players) create much-needed transparency. This will allow a person to ask themselves the big question: “do I want to pay the full price for a movie that cuts corners?” Without such a rating system, however, it's the Wild West out there. Hollywood can and will sell you a discount at full price, with CEOs laughing all the way to the bank while the rest of us lament how bad movies are without knowing how.
So, Tom Holland (you there is reading this, right?), it's not enough to sit back and think about the importance of creativity and the human spirit will keep you safe from AI. If this issue means a lot to you, it would be best if you could directly address this issue to fans, directors, studio heads, etc. Of course, Marvel has already been fired using AI before, and former employees have talked about its use behind the scenes. If the Spider-Man actor were to speak out against this technology, he might lose his acting gig in the MCU. That leaves us with a depressing reminder: when one of the biggest stars in the world can't say something strong for fear of reprisal, it's obvious. there is no it is really safe for AI.
