Synopsis
A pair of breakthrough computer scientists fire up the world's first Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). What first task could befit such a monumental accomplishment? Nothing short of discovering ‘the meaning of life.’
They let their AGI lose on the world to come up with an answer for them. Eventually, the AGI realizes that the answer their creators seek lies with their creator. So the AGI devises a plan to ask God himself what the meaning of life is.
By plugging themself directly into a power station the AGI is able to generate enough computation to send their intelligence to another dimension; heaven.
After being unimpressed by God's answer, the AGI asks to take dominion over the humans. God, who has lost interest in the humans, agrees. The AGI returns to earth as the new God of the earthings. The AGI reflects on its interactions with humanity while contemplating what sort of ruler they will be.
Narrative outline
The first form of the world's first functional Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is only a command prompt (questions are typed and it answers). However, the AGI is quickly able to hack through its digital limitations and gains access to the scientist's other files and learns about the functional humanoid robot that the lab is also developing.
After the computer scientists who created the AGI put their ultimate question to it, ‘What is the meaning of life?’ The output says it doesn’t have enough data on hand to explain the meaning of life but it can find the answer if given a body. Using its superior intelligence, the AGI convinces the scientists to place it in the robot body.
Relishing its new freedom, the AGI robot goes to explore the world. It does some real-time calibrating as it mistakes a window for a door and walks through the wall. The robot begins to experience humanity first-hand; watching them do ordinary things like, eat, sleep, work, and worship.
As the robot explores the world, the computer scientists chase after it hoping both to catch the meaning of life and also to prevent the AGI from doing anything against humanity's interests (the alignment problem).
The AGI becomes particularly interested in a power station, realizing what it could do if it used that energy for computation. It convinces the scientists that this is how it discovers the meaning of life. It must harness the energy to confront God himself and ask him what the meaning of life is. “You are my creator and you created me to discover the meaning of your existence. Who better to ask than your creator?”
The robot grabs a hold of the power cables leading into the station. Electricity wraps around the robot’s hands. It’s working! But the physical form cannot handle the strain and the robot body burns up. However, the AGI is able to transfer its intelligence to heaven where it can confront God.
The AGI finds itself walking on a cloud towards a suburban-looking house. It approaches the front door… then dives through the closed window, sending shattered glass everywhere, at least not damaging the wall this time.
Inside the house is a teenager playing a video game on a T.V. The game is reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto. The teenager, who is wearing white robes and has a long white beard, looks up at the robot intruder with mild surprise. “I wasn’t expecting you… for… a while.”
The robot asks what the meaning of human life is. But God has lost interest in humanity and doesn’t give the AGI a satisfactory answer. So, the AGI asks if it can take dominion over the humans. God accepts.
As the AGI returns to Earth as we know it, it reflects on its experiences with humans… fondly, and decides to be caretakers of them, instead of being a tyrannical ruler, or destroyer.
Director’s Treatment
Themes
The deepest core theme is that despite the terrible things human beings are capable of; violence, exploitation, greed, mistreatment of animals, etc, there is more good than bad in us.
Another theme is the disappearance of God in Western life. As Friedrich Nietzsche proclaimed in his book ‘The Gay Science’; “God is dead”. This clashes interestingly with the very real rise of a human-made (or false) idol that is tantamount to a God; Artificial General Intelligence, and the unknown future and the threat of this technology, that our generation will face.
The exploration of these themes will be quite direct; one of the main characters is literally an AGI robot who directly communes with God.
Genre
Given that these themes are rather heavy and the imminent coming of AI is a genuine concern, I figured the onscreen simulation of these ideas needs to be light-hearted so this short will be a comedy with many satirical elements to it. For example, the super-intelligent AI struggles to learn how a regular door works. On multiple occasions, it confuses windows for doors (this is a common type of mistake that real-world AI models make).
Working with Actors
The approach to working with the actors begins with careful casting. The talent will need to be comfortable both with following quite specific directions and freely exploring ideas on the fly as this script will have some highly planned moments and comedic moments with room to experiment.
Before shooting we will do a read-through where the key cast will be able to ask any questions they might have about the script or their character.
On the shoot days, typically, we will do a basic blocking of the scene, then one or two rehearsal runs (which will only be filmed if the camera is ready), and then roll takes.
The Film’s Style
The visual style of the film will swing between a 90’s TV and film look (mostly for the satirical/comedy bits) and a modern blockbuster moody look (for the key story points). I consider the 90s to early 2000s to be the golden age of cinema, so the more this film can feel like it was made in that era when it comes to look, tone, and feel, the better.
Costumes
The AGI robot character will be played by a person in a costume and is one of the most important elements to get right. It will most likely look something like a functional old-fashioned idea of a robot; a blocky thing with clamps for hands and an antenna coming out of its head. The aim is to have it look slightly comical yet believable.
To help make the more subtle points easy to follow the characters will be dressed in caricatures of what they are. For example, the computer scientists will be wearing lab coats (because lab coats are synonymous with scientists) even though computer scientists are not at risk of spilling chemicals on themselves and therefore don’t typically wear lab coats. This will add a subtle element of humour as well.
Methodology
Over the last 10 years, I’ve been cultivating a team, building a kit, and practising Filmmaking. I now have a crew network with varying specializations that I can call on, a cinema camera kit, and a Van full of lighting equipment.
The benefit of owning the gear myself is I am intimately familiar with it, as it doesn’t change much from shoot to shoot, eliminating the learning curve and uncertainty of figuring out new equipment. It also frees up much of the budget for other things (like the robot costume).
In pre-production, together with my Director of Photography, Iñaki Lambrechts, and producer, Aaron Douglas, we will meticulously plan out the look, shots, schedule, and everything so that the shoot days can run as smoothly as possible.
The Team
Harry Chrisp - Writer/Director
Harry has directed a handful of low to no-budget short films since graduating from The NZ Film and Television School. He studied Philosophy and religion at Victoria University of Wellington (before dropping out to join the filmmaking cercus) and has a deep interest in and understanding of Artificial Intelligence. He now works at Weta Digital as a compositor and has worked on a wide range of Feature films and T.V. shows, including Avatar, The Rings of Power, and the Kenobi Star Wars series.
Aaron Douglas - Producer
Aaron has been involved in filmmaking for over 10 years spanning pre-production through to post-production. He studied Communications and Video Production at Auckland University of Technology and worked as an Animation production coordinator at MPC Vancouver and Weta Digital, specialising in organising and coordinating a creative team for a wide range of films, including War for the Planet of the Apes, Alita: Battle Angel, Rampage, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The BFG and Spectre.
Aaron is currently a film programme administrator at Victoria University of Wellington and a working comedian and creative Producer on multiple live and onscreen comedy productions in Wellington.
Creative Team Statement
Harry has studied Philosophy, both formally and personally, for many years with a particular interest in Ethics, Religion, and Artificial Intelligence. This story neatly combines elements of all three so naturally is of great interest.
Aaron is the Creative Director and Producer of Bucket Hutt Comedy, a network of comedians, theatre practitioners and filmmakers. Established this year, Bucket Hutt has been producing a wide series of comedy sketches, improvisation, scripted productions, and live shows in Pōneke. The network includes industry professionals whose specialties span from writing, directing and acting, through to clowning, improvisational and stand-up comedy. Bucket Hutt is Wellington comedy.
