One of the pro-AI substackers, discussing the fast “development” of systems like Midjourney, said: The next blockbuster movie will be written by a kid in Mom’s basement.
First thought: It’s not “developing”. The development is done. What we’re seeing now is a carefully planned and staged rollout by the Men Of Monopoly, carefully publicized by Errand Boys like this substacker.
Second thought: The old garage inventor story is rarely true. If the kid in Mom’s basement was able to mobilize the vast resources of advertising and marketing needed for a blockbuster, you can be sure Mom already knew the right people. Most modern “garage inventors”, like Apple and Microsoft, are pure myths. Older ones like Zenith were partly true. Mathews and Hassel were genuinely independent, but the Mathews family knew some of the right people, who called the project to the attention of bigger right people.
Third thought: Even if Mom knew the right people, you can be goddamn sure the kid wouldn’t get much of the money or credit for the movie. The Men Of Monopoly would take all the money and kick him out.
Fourth thought: AHA. This is why Errand Boy Thaler is spending so much trouble and expense to get AI legally qualified as a Person who can take legal credit for a patent or copyright. The “person” of Midjourney would kick out the Negative Externality of the kid who wrote the prompts.
Polistra's Mill 