What Could Go Wrong? Audiobook By Scott Z. Burns cover art

What Could Go Wrong?

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What Could Go Wrong?

By: Scott Z. Burns
Narrated by: Scott Z. Burns
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About this listen

Predicting a global pandemic in a hit movie was impressive. Writing a sequel that will work for today’s world might take a whole different kind of intelligence.

Join Scott Z. Burns, the acclaimed screenwriter of Contagion, as he embarks on a mind-bending quest to create a worthy follow-up to his eerily prophetic film. Reuniting with director Steven Soderbergh, members of the cast and crew, and the scientific experts who advised him on the first film, Burns also turns to an unexpected collaborator: artificial intelligence. But can AI predict the source of the next global pandemic—or at least help convince a Hollywood studio to buy your movie pitch? Down the rabbit hole we go, slipping deeper and deeper into the surreal and unknown to explore if human creativity and AI could join forces.

In this deeply thoughtful, occasionally frightening, and often hilarious behind-the-scenes series, Burns assembles an extraordinary collection of minds (both skeptics and optimists) across the world of academia, the sciences, journalism, and the entertainment industry to weigh in. But Burns' most intriguing collaborators? His ever-expanding cast of AI-generated partners led by the incomparable Lexter, Scott’s extraordinarily gifted, sharp-tongued writing partner and, well ... friend. As the adventure spirals into uncharted territory, one question looms large: In this brave new world of human-AI collaboration, what could possibly go wrong? Listen to find out.

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Editorial Review

A bold experiment
During the height of the COVID pandemic, Scott Z. Burns’s film Contagion saw a resurgence in popularity for obvious reasons: People were watching to make sense of their current reality. So when he was tasked with writing a sequel, his challenge was wondering how to replicate that relevance. In comes arguably the most relevant thing affecting artists and content creators today: generative AI. With a “team” of AI writers, actors, producers, and even a facsimile of Burns’s own foul-mouthed late talent agent, Burns documents his bizarre yet illuminating experiment. The bots sometimes get it right, often get it wrong, occasionally terrify, and always take things in unexpected directions, making for a fascinating case study into what happens when we involve this technology in our artistic endeavors. —Sam D., Audible Editor

Fascinating Premise • Intriguing Concept • Great Practical Look • Interesting Personality • Creative Exploration
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Top notch across the board. I was captivated not only by the central topic of AI the underlying analysis of a future pandemic, and the role of science and government. I could listen to this a second time and might well do so

Outstanding

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Easy and interesting! Low effort to get completely hooked to it! Also the AI sounds in this production sounds scarily authentic.

Very interesting listen!

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I loved the way AI was used to describe how AI works. This was an easy read and held my attention until the end.

AI is real

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This was amazing and funny, Babs is hilarious, and Lexter is incredible! We need to stop being so prejudiced. O don’t care that Lexter is an AI; he was clearly the creative force in this collaboration.

I want to see the movie they came up with, and I don’t care that Lexter is an AI.

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As someone with connections to the film and television industry I have seen people just ignore AI altogether out of fear it will take jobs. A huge part of negotiations with all Industry unions revolved around studios NOT using AI.

Right now AI is great because it is using human creativity to create new products-stories, music, art, etc. This is because it pulls from humanity’s creative work from the beginning of time (as it exists online) until now. If AI starts being used to replace human creativity, actual humans will not have the ability to survive while engaging in creative works, or be motivated to learn more about art, music, writing. Within a generation AI will stop being “so amazing” as it won’t have new human generated creative work to utilize.

This podcast is a great start for
Anyone considering the long term consequences of AI use.

Beautiful and timely

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I loved the breadth and depth of Scott's exploration. Lots of omg moments! What if???

Fascinating

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This is something EVERYONE should listen to and be forewarned- a sense of humor is required. Technology is scary. It is also convenient. In fact, avoiding AI is already impossible, and being aware of that is essential to understanding our lives. Avoiding AI technology will become the prerogative of the rich, just like having the land, the barn, the fence, the help, the food, the vet, the time and the money required to own and ride horses is far more expensive than driving a car. It’s a hobby now, an investment for some and a luxury for most. Just like meeting IRL, and not in a ZOOM meeting, or on a secured communication channel, is easier and less costly. And one more step removed- it’s easier to text than it is to call. It seems more like it takes a good phone and internet plan than it takes a village. We already have wars because we don’t communicate well or play nice with each other. We already have fractured communities and families who are stressed by work demands, travel, relocations and the simple truth that computers and other devises are easier to deal with than people. But there is hope… right? Damn it- I highly recommend this book!

I like to ride horses… but if I want go somewhere, I drive a car!

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everything about this was just... YES! interesting, compelling, playful. I absolutely loved it and just wanted to keep listening

spot on!

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This was so cool and even gave me chills listening to the complexity of this AI machine. Amazing!

So fascinating!!

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The concept of the plastic eating bacteria is very interesting. I had no idea AI tools have evolved to this level. I appreciate Scott’s openness and vulnerability in his creative process. Well done and I would watch this movie.

Evolution of AI

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