Danny McBride and Beeple debate AI’s promise and perils for artists

Danny McBride and the digital artist Beeple brought contrasting views of artificial intelligence to the Gibbes Museum of Art’s Distinguished Lecture Series in Charleston on Oct. 21, agreeing that creators need to understand the technology while differing over its artistic promise. At Charleston Music Hall, McBride said he had experimented with AI but would not turn his next screenplay over to ChatGPT. He uses it primarily as a research aid when historical scenes require specific details, describing it as a more advanced version of Google. The Daniel Island News reported that he objected to its tendency to flatter users and to produce writing that sounds persuasive but lacks depth. “I enjoy writing. I enjoy creating stuff. I enjoy the process of making [a script],” McBride said. “I would never look for a tool to replace that because then I don't have anything to do with it.” He also singled out formulaic traits in AI prose, including lists of three and repeated contrast constructions. McBride nevertheless argued that avoiding AI would be a mistake while Hollywood studios experiment with bringing it into production. Studios had not required him to use the technology in his own work, he said, but visual-effects work could increasingly incorporate it. Creators should understand its capabilities, he added, because large companies could otherwise use it to displace workers. Beeple, whose real name is Mike Winkelmann, offered the more optimistic case. He described AI as a tool that could unlock a large amount of creativity by allowing people without technical ability to express ideas they could not otherwise realise. The pair had previously collaborated on “Synthetic Theater,” an experimental production exploring AI and creativity, about a year before the lecture. Their discussion also addressed the boundary between inspiration and infringement. McBride distinguished drawing artistic inspiration from copyright violations or the unauthorised use of a person’s likeness. The audiobook of his book “Thrilling Tales of Modern Men” includes language barring AI training. The questions raised at the event reflect a wider creative-industry tension. A Harvard Law Review chapter describes a “double bind” in which artists may want to use AI’s potential while fearing replacement by it. It notes that current disputes include whether training models on copyrighted work is fair use, whether AI can be an author and who bears liability for infringement; the Copyright Office and courts have affirmed that copyright requires distinctly human authorship. McBride’s conclusion was that the technology may force a more demanding standard on artists: “Maybe suddenly you have to push yourself harder, be more authentic, and outpace the machine.” The Charleston setting was significant for both speakers. McBride first came to the city in 2015 to shoot “Vice Principals” and relocated his family and production company there in 2016. Winkelmann opened the 50,000-square-foot Beeple Studios in Charleston in 2023, and said the city’s limited digital-art scene had prompted him to consider how people outside technology and NFT communities encounter his work. Beeple became globally known after his NFT “Everydays: The First 5,000 Days” sold for $69.3 million in 2021.