“Contagion” screenwriter Scott Z. Burns explores the creative potential and risks of artificial intelligence in a new Audible series that documents his experiment asking AI to write a sequel to his pandemic thriller. The eight-part audio journey, “What Could Go Wrong?”, follows Burns as he interacts with an AI chatbot and consults experts about the implications of machine-generated creative content, raising profound questions about the future of both screenwriting and pandemic preparedness.
The creative experiment: Burns engages with an AI chatbot named Lexter, programmed to mimic a witty former film critic, to explore whether artificial intelligence could generate a worthy sequel to his 2011 hit film.
- The premise was inspired by the renewed popularity “Contagion” experienced during the actual COVID-19 pandemic, creating a meta-narrative that bridges fiction and reality.
- According to Audible, the AI’s response “stuns Burns as a seemingly original idea,” though they’re keeping the specific content under wraps as a key reveal in the series.
Beyond entertainment: The series tackles serious questions about artificial intelligence’s role in creative industries and its broader implications for society.
- Burns consults with entertainment industry peers, epidemiologists, and technology experts to understand the ramifications of AI-generated content.
- The screenwriter notes that the project’s exploration revealed “staggering” implications “both for the health of our industry and for the stakes of the next pandemic.”
The creative journey: The series documents Burns’ evolving relationship with the technology as he confronts philosophical questions about originality and authorship.
- “When I started this project I truly did not know where it would lead… I only knew where I was starting from,” Burns explains, highlighting the experimental nature of his approach.
- The narrative wrestles with a fundamental question: can an AI-generated character have a truly original thought, and what does that mean for human creativity?
Why this matters: As AI tools rapidly advance in sophistication, the entertainment industry faces unprecedented questions about authorship, creativity, and the future of artistic work.
- Burns’ project represents a hands-on exploration by an established Hollywood writer rather than just theoretical discussions about AI’s creative capabilities.
- The series sits at the intersection of two urgent contemporary issues: the transformation of creative work through automation and society’s preparedness for future pandemics.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...