New From Audible

 in high demand from fans – can be made with artificial intelligence. Blending personal narrative, professional industry expertise, and his own experiments using rapidly evolving technology, Burns’ quest ultimately evolves into an exploration of the possibilities and pitfalls of AI, especially when it comes to creative work. 

Initially inspired by his hit film’s renewed popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and desperate to overcome his creative doubts, Burns poses the question to a generative AI chatbot ‘Lexter’: “should I write a sequel to Contagion?” and if so, how? The answer provided by Lexter – who is programmed to converse as a bright, witty, and mysterious former film critic – stuns Burns as a seemingly original idea. In trying to reconcile the possibility of an AI-generated character having an original thought, an intrigued Burns goes down the rabbit hole.

Consulting with epidemiologists and leading technology experts, reuniting with entertainment and media peers, and engaging in regular conversations with Lexter, Burns dives into artistic process, the very real threat of the next pandemic, and the profound questions surrounding what it means to use artificial intelligence to try to solve complex problems. Throughout the exploration, this Audible Original tackles prevalent issues surrounding AI in entertainment, including creative rights, job displacement, and the future of storytelling.

What Could Go Wrong? features a range of interviews and conversations with entertainment luminaries including Steven Soderbergh, Laurence Fishburne, Jennifer Ehle, Nick Bilton, Matt Belloni, Sarah Nolen, Cliff Martinez, and Ted Hope and Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene; tech and AI experts Joanne Jeng, and Meredith Whittaker; leading scientists including epidemiologists Dr. Larry Brilliant, Dr. Ian Lipkin, Dr. Michael Osterholm, Dr. Shanna Swan, and science journalist Laurie Garrett; and many others across the worlds of science, journalism, music, Hollywood and beyond.