As artificial intelligence accelerates at a breathtaking pace, filmmaker Daniel Roher sets out to understand whether humanity is approaching an extraordinary new era or a catastrophe of its own making. What begins as a personal investigation becomes far more urgent when he and his wife learn they are expecting a child. Faced with predictions ranging from revolutionary medical breakthroughs and powerful new tools for creativity to mass unemployment, deepfakes, autonomous systems and even existential risk, he asks some of the world’s leading AI thinkers a deceptively simple question: should we be excited about the future, or terrified of it? The film explores how generative AI works, why its capabilities are advancing so quickly and what could happen if increasingly powerful systems become difficult to control. Experts debate AI safety and alignment, the race between competing companies, the possibility of machines seeking greater power, and the social consequences of automation and concentrated wealth. At the same time, the documentary confronts the technology’s remarkable promise, from personalized education to scientific discovery and potential cancer treatments. Moving between anxiety and hope, Roher ultimately searches for a way to face an uncertain future not as a pessimist or a blind optimist, but as something in between: an “Apocaloptimist.”
When 22-year-old American engineering student Taylor discovers that her face has been digitally altered to appear in online hardcore porn videos, she is devastated and doesn't know who to trust or what to do. The police tell Taylor that what this person did is not even a crime, but when she learns that a fellow student, Julia, has also been targeted, she and Julia take the investigation into their own hands, diving into the underground world of deepfake technology and discovering a society of men who terrorize women.
The film explores how generative AI works, why its capabilities are advancing so quickly and what could happen if increasingly powerful systems become difficult to control. Experts debate AI safety and alignment, the race between competing companies, the possibility of machines seeking greater power, and the social consequences of automation and concentrated wealth. At the same time, the documentary confronts the technology’s remarkable promise, from personalized education to scientific discovery and potential cancer treatments. Moving between anxiety and hope, Roher ultimately searches for a way to face an uncertain future not as a pessimist or a blind optimist, but as something in between: an “Apocaloptimist.”