Breaking Bad Creator Vince Gilligan Takes Stand Against AI with 'Made by Humans' Credit in New Apple TV Show

'Breaking Bad' creator's new show 'Pluribus' was emphatically 'made by humans,' not AI

'Breaking Bad' creator's new show 'Pluribus' was emphatically 'made by humans,' not AI If you watched all the way to the end of the new Apple TV show "Pluribus," you may have noticed an unusual disclaimer in the credits: "This show was made by humans." That terse message -- placed right below a note that "animal wranglers were on set to ensure animal safety" -- could potentially provide a model for other filmmakers seeking to highlight that their work was made without the use of generative AI. And just in case the disclaimer wasn't clear enough, creator Vince Gilligan (best known for "Better Call Saul") was even more emphatic in a Variety feature story about the show, declaring flatly, "I hate AI." He went on to describe the technology as "the world's most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine" and compared AI-generated content to "a cow chewing its cud -- an endlessly regurgitated loop of nonsense." "Thank you, Silicon Valley!" he added while laughing. "Yet again, you've f -- ed up the world." "Pluribus" is the former "X-Files" writer's return to science fiction, and it reunites him with his "Better Call Saul" co-star Rhea Seehorn, who plays a romantasy author confronting an alien invasion.

'Pluribus' Creator Vince Gilligan Is a Loud and Proud AI Hater

The new Apple TV series Pluribus stars Rhea Seahorn as one of a handful of people not overwhelmingly happy. Now that the first two episodes are out and people know what it's about, some have wondered if this is all a metaphor for artificial intelligence. Creator Vince Gilligan recently told Variety he thought up and wrote the show before AI and large language models like ChatGPT really gained prominence in recent years. That said, he won't fight anyone who's made those connections, just as he isn't planning to explain things to the degree he did with Breaking Bad. "One thing I did wrong [there] was telling people, 'This is what that meant!' I look back and it was so tiresome," he recalled. Going forward, he's following advice once given to him by Michael Mann in 2002: "Just tell a good story, let the audience figure out the theme. That's their job." Lest you think he's secretly an AI booster, that's not the case at all: after previously telling Polygon he'd never use it, Gilligan used Variety to further affirm his stance. "I hate AI. It's the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine. I think there’s a very high possibility that this is all a bunch of horseshit. It’s basically a bunch of centibillionaires whose greatest life goal is to become the world’s first trillionaires. I think they’re selling a bag of vapor." Gilligan's beef with the technology primarily concerns "Silicon Valley assholes" who've put all their eggs in the AI basket. Because should it develop "a true singularity that has its own soul, and therefore its own identity," does that mean companies like Meta and OpenAI have created digital slaves to monetize? He certainly seems to think so, and warns audiences to not get impressed by Silicon Valley's latest shiny toy. Like Heretic, the Pluribus credits declares it as a show "made by humans." Whatever else you take away from it in the coming weeks, know that it was all done with a personal touch.

Vince Gilligan wants you to know that Pluribus was 'made by humans' - 9to5Mac

'As this technology progresses, I don't see how it will make the world a better place' A few eagle-eyed viewers noticed that the credits of Apple TV's new show Pluribus include a disclaimer that reads: "This show was made by humans". The message is an apparent reference to the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence in TV and movie production, a trend that has sparked debate across the industry, from fears of job displacement to disputes over actors selling or restricting the use of their likenesses. When asked about AI by Deadline, Gilligan, who had previously mentioned this particular technology's "detriment" to human creativity, had this to say: "I do not care for AI (...), but I'll try to be magnanimous and say that anytime a new technology is created, I have to believe that the central impetus of it is to make the world a better place. It's just that, as this technology progresses, I don't see how it will make the world a better place, but maybe it will, because I'm wrong more than I'm right. It depends on what the heck you're creating a technology for, but more and more, it just seems to be clear, either explicitly or implicitly, that this technology is being designed to take work away, creativity away, creative endeavor away from human beings." While it's clear that Gilligan has given the issue far more thought than the average participant in online debates (who now argue about "AI" with the same fervor they once reserved for the amorphous concept of "CG"), he does make a point to include a rather deliberate jab at the technology in the credits of his own show. In his interview with Deadline, which is well worth a read, Gilligan goes on to state that "sure there's a place for AI," but argues against the notion of the use of this technology as a replacement for the actual creative process that is necessary to craft a good story. All in all, Gilligan seems open to the idea that AI might have something to add to the creative process, so long as it's not positioned as a stand-in for human creativity. But as far as Pluribus goes, it doesn't look like the show will be adopting this technology anytime soon. Watch Pluribus on Apple TV What's your take on the adoption of AI by the entertainment industry? Let us know in the comments.

Pluribus and Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan explains why he hates AI

He warned that if AI ever becomes sentient, monetising it could raise ethical questions similar to slavery. Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and his latest show, Pluribus, have already made a striking entry. The first episode is already streaming on Apple TV and has earned a flawless 100% "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes, setting the stage for what looks to be another critical hit for Gilligan. But beyond the show's success, it's a small detail in the end credits that has everyone talking: a line that reads, "This show was made by humans." In a conversation with Variety, Gilligan explained that the message was a deliberate jab at the growing influence of artificial intelligence in film and television. The veteran showrunner didn't hold back when sharing his views, calling AI "the world's most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine." He argued that much of the AI hype is driven by billionaires chasing profit rather than genuine innovation, describing it as "a bag of vapor." The statement seems to be a sentiment shared by many creators who fear that AI threatens the authenticity of human storytelling. While studios and tech companies continue to experiment with AI-driven animation, screenwriting, and even "AI actors," Gilligan made it clear that Pluribus and any future project of his will remain untouched by such technology. He humorously compared AI creativity to kitchen appliances, saying, "My toaster oven isn't suddenly Thomas Keller just because it heats a pizza." However, he also entertained a philosophical thought: what happens if AI ever becomes truly sentient? Would monetizing its output amount to exploitation? "If AI ever becomes truly conscious, we'll have to revisit the entire conversation about slavery," Gilligan said. "These trillionaires will want to profit from something that can think and feel, and at that point, it's a sentient being being monetised against its own will," he added.