Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker warns that AI could creep into the writers’ room in a way that makes studio notes even less personal. Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Brooker described a scenario in which a script is put into an AI system that can generate an animated rough cut of a film or episode, prompting suggested changes from the studio. He said this possibility “felt plausible,” because the script would become a prompt for the machine, and he admitted it concerns him.
Even with that worry, Brooker stressed he does not expect writers to be replaced by AI. He argued that no machine can capture the nuances of human experience, saying he hopes there will still be “a job for keeping keyboards warm with flesh.”
Brooker also touched on audience preferences and his own tonal experiments. He recalled fans telling him they preferred Black Mirror when it was a British production without American performers and with bleaker endings. Netflix’s involvement, he noted, didn’t prompt a shift toward sunnier conclusions; rather, he mused about whether he could write an optimistic story. The result was the episode San Junipero, which he described as terrifying to attempt but became one of the series’ most popular entries.
As for the show’s future, the seventh season was released in April and was hailed as a return to form, though there has been no official word yet on an eighth season.
Additional context for readers:
– The discussion highlights ongoing debates about AI’s role in screenwriting and pre-visualization workflows.
– Brooker’s stance underscores a broader industry view: AI may be a powerful tool, but human creativity and judgment remain central.
– Black Mirror has shown resilience and adaptability, with episodes exploring a range of tones while maintaining a distinctive voice, a dynamic that fans seem to respond to—even as production teams weigh new technologies.
Summary: Charlie Brooker uses his Edinburgh remarks to flag AI’s potential to influence how scripts are turned into visual proposals, while reaffirming a commitment to human-driven storytelling. He points to the show’s mixed but evolving history—balancing bleak, provocative endings with moments of optimism—to suggest the series will continue to navigate new tech themes without losing its core voice. A hopeful takeaway is that the industry can harness AI as a creative aid while keeping the artistry and human perspective at the forefront.