Oppenheimer premier: Christopher Nolan talks about what AI is capable of

Following a special screening of Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan recently discussed the "terrifying possibilities" of artificial intelligence.

Speaking via Variety at the Meet the Press event in New York, Nolan noted, "The rise of companies in the last 15 years bandying words like an algorithm — not knowing what they mean in any kind of meaningful, mathematical sense — these guys don’t know what an algorithm is."

Nolan continued, "People in my business talking about it, they just don’t want to take responsibility for whatever that algorithm does."

Nolan believed that if algorithms were applied to AI that’s a "terrifying possibility."

"Not least because, AI systems will go into defensive infrastructure ultimately. They’ll be in charge of nuclear weapons," continued the director.

Nolan stated, "To say that that is a separate entity from the person wielding, programming, putting that AI to use, then we’re doomed."

"It has to be about accountability. We have to hold people accountable for what they do with the tools that they have," added the movie-maker.

The atomic bomb was developed during World War II with the help of J. Robert Oppenheimer, as will be shown in Nolan's next film.

The film stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., and Florence Pugh and is set for release on July 21.