Writers Jonas Kyratzes and Verena Kyratzes, key figures in the narrative design of The Talos Principle series, have shared critical perspectives on generative AI. In an interview touching on the upcoming conclusion to the trilogy, The Talos Principle III, the writers drew a sharp distinction between genuine artificial general intelligence and the large language models (LLMs) prevalent today, labeling current generative AI tools as primarily a "plagiarism machine" that poses risks to creative industries and employment.
"The LLMs that we're currently dealing with? They're basically incredibly intelligent versions of the autocorrect that I have on my phone, and calling them actual AI, general AI, is just ludicrous," stated Verena Kyratzes. Jonas Kyratzes echoed this sentiment, describing claims of a "singularity" as "largely ludicrous" and attributing some of the hype to market manipulation rather than genuine technological advancement.
Their concerns extend to the practical application of these tools in creative fields. Both writers believe that generative AI, when used in content creation, can hinder originality. "It absolutely hinders creativity," Verena asserted, recalling instances where AI-generated drafts created "s*** sentences stuck in my head" that were difficult to overcome. Jonas likened the misuse of AI tools to unskilled writers relying too heavily on a thesaurus, often resulting in "a monstrosity of a text." He emphasized that while AI can be a useful tool for skilled users, such as finding specific words or synonyms, its current implementation often leads to the replacement of writers by those unfamiliar with the craft, with detrimental results.
Beyond creative impact, the writers highlighted the broader societal and labor implications. Jonas argued that job displacement due to AI is not an issue of the technology itself, but rather a reflection of the weakened power of labor relative to capital. He suggested that the focus should be on the social and political context in which technology is applied, questioning the lack of robust labor protections against widespread elimination of jobs.
The philosophical underpinnings of AI have been central to The Talos Principle series since its inception in 2014. The games have consistently explored themes of consciousness, personhood, and the nature of artificial sentience. While the series delves into these concepts, the writers clarified that The Talos Principle III does not directly critique modern generative AI. Instead, the game aims to envision a more optimistic future, presenting a world of freedom, abundance, and equality.
"Artificial intelligence is tied to it in the sense that obviously the characters from the first game were artificially intelligent beings that then continued into the second game, and then into the third, and have now expanded beyond Earth to the stars," Jonas explained. He noted that the game's premise involves these artificial beings considering themselves fully human, descendants of humanity, and seeking to enhance human experiences like pleasure and happiness, rather than becoming an oppressive machine entity. This narrative direction, he added, is thematically relevant to technology's possibilities but not a specific commentary on machine learning applications.
Further details on The Talos Principle III will be featured in an upcoming issue of Game Informer magazine.