‘Fallout’ Producer Jonathan Nolan Discusses AI: ‘We’re in an Exciting Phase’
Jonathan Nolan anticipated this trend. As a screenwriter, he has collaborated on numerous films with his brother Christopher Nolan, including Interstellar and the Dark Knight series. Alongside his wife Lisa Joy, he developed HBO’s Westworld and served as an executive producer for Amazon Prime’s Fallout. Before these projects, he honed his skills in television by creating Person of Interest, a CBS series centered on a reclusive tech billionaire who develops surveillance software designed to prevent crime before it occurs. Although it’s fictional, its foresight is striking.
Now in its second season, Fallout has Nolan looking ahead. Adapted from the video game series of the same name, it explores a post-apocalyptic America where survival is paramount. Moreover, it features a sharp sense of humor and a retrofuturistic flair reminiscent of the 1950s.
So, what does Nolan foresee for the future? Quite a bit. He doesn’t believe AI will supplant human filmmakers; rather, he sees it as a potential tool to assist budding directors in gaining entry into the industry. (Though he insists he’ll never incorporate it into his own writing.) Additionally, he hopes for the decline of (most) social media, even if he acknowledges that may never materialize.
In this week’s episode of The Big Interview podcast, I spoke with Nolan about these topics and more. Below, you can read his insights on writing Batman films, classic automobiles, and what he’d stock in his own doomsday shelter.
This interview has been condensed for brevity and clarity.
KATIE DRUMMOND: Jonathan Nolan, thank you for joining us on The Big Interview.
JONATHAN NOLAN: I appreciate you having me.
I’m thrilled to have you here in person in New York. It’s quite cold. I’m Canadian so my tolerance is a bit skewed, but …
I’m from Chicago. I often think of New York’s cold as mild.
No, no, this is genuine cold. The older I become, the more frail I feel, so I really can’t handle it.
I’ve lived in LA for 25 years. Completely out of touch.
So we’re both equally unprepared. It should lead to a fascinating conversation. We usually kick off these chats with a quick warm-up. This might be particularly beneficial today. Just a brain warm-up, some rapid-fire questions. Are you set?
The reason I chose to be a writer is because I typically struggle with quick responses. I might not do well at this.
Oh great, this will be the entire hour.
That’s all we need.
What’s the most clichéd sci-fi trope?
Ooh! Faster-than-light travel.
Why do you say that?
It serves as a narrative convenience. We utilized it in Interstellar, but in a somewhat indirect manner through a wormhole. While it’s essentially the same concept, it avoids the tedious parts.
What book do you find yourself revisiting frequently?
Recently, I keep returning to Iain Banks’ Culture series. Years ago, I sought positive depictions of AI in science fiction.
Interesting. I look forward to discussing this.
There was almost nothing available—really, very few. It’s like James Cameron on one end, with Iain Banks on the other, who wrote these books over two decades, starting in the late ’80s until his untimely passing in the early 2010s. Much too young. Yet, they present one of the richest and most exquisite portrayals of a hybrid society where humans and AI coexist harmoniously.
Rajat Sharma
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