What Could Go Wrong?

De: Scott Z. Burns

Narrado por: Scott Z. Burns

Predicting a global pandemic in a hit movie was impressive. Writing a sequel that will work for today’s world might take a whole different kind of intelligence.

Join Scott Z. Burns, the acclaimed screenwriter of Contagion, as he embarks on a mind-bending quest to create a worthy follow-up to his eerily prophetic film. Reuniting with director Steven Soderbergh, members of the cast and crew, and the scientific experts who advised him on the first film, Burns also turns to an unexpected collaborator: artificial intelligence. But can AI predict the source of the next global pandemic—or at least help convince a Hollywood studio to buy your movie pitch? Down the rabbit hole we go, slipping deeper and deeper into the surreal and unknown to explore if human creativity and AI could join forces.

In this deeply thoughtful, occasionally frightening, and often hilarious behind-the-scenes series, Burns assembles an extraordinary collection of minds (both skeptics and optimists) across the world of academia, the sciences, journalism, and the entertainment industry to weigh in. But Burns' most intriguing collaborators? His ever-expanding cast of AI-generated partners led by the incomparable Lexter, Scott’s extraordinarily gifted, sharp-tongued writing partner and, well ... friend. As the adventure spirals into uncharted territory, one question looms large: In this brave new world of human-AI collaboration, what could possibly go wrong? Listen to find out.

©2025 Plan B Entertainment (P)2025 Audible Originals, LLC

Fascinating

I loved the breadth and depth of Scott's exploration. Lots of omg moments! What if???

Insight into uses of AI, and risks.

I liked the process explanations. And the thoughtful exposition of risk. It held my attention all the way through.

surprising premise

a contagion emerging from a lab created molecule meant to cleanup plastics from the oceans was creative and inventive. Hope a movie does get made from this.

Contagious interest

Fantastic dive into creativity & technology & where they intersect, overlap or morph into something new. With the pros & cons scaled for our examination. And no, this was not written by AI.... or was it?... jk, it wasn't... or wa-... (Insert infinite loop)

John Phillip Souza

The famous composer (that I only originally knew about from The Music Man constantly said that music recordings would put bands and orchestras out of business since the music would readily be available for sale and anyone could own a copy—staying at home instead of going out to physically listen to music. Perhaps he had part of that right. But creating everything in a movie—the flawed bits of humanity, our shared foibles and gallows humor? That can only be accomplished by real humans. We’re surprising and unique and vulnerable and we understand that while two different people can play the same role—one in a movie and one on Broadway—the only way an actor can play a role in a book is in a writer’s imagination. You can try to get AI to understand us and mimic us, but AI is not us. Not even close.

Fantastic representation of AI interaction in the workplace!

So relevant! Uplifted to see AI won’t take over all jobs—as long as human emotion, talent & judgment guide our work, we still lead the way.

Funny and scary about AI

It’s interesting but perhaps not surprising that it’s someone from the entertainment industry who breaks it down for us in a way that makes us want to listen; and thereby learn about how AI works or doesn’t work.
I wish that he’d included the information about the effects AI have on Climate change in an earlier episode. The enormous amount of energy AI uses to work is insane and perhaps most scary of it all.

AI an Ethical Dilemma

This is an intriguing Audible series that blends speculative fiction with real-world concerns about artificial intelligence. The story follows a journalist interacting with an AI named Lexter, and all the ethical and moral issues that brings to mind.

Really good AI use case

A really interesting and entertaining use case on the use of artificial intelligence in creative writing. For someone who isn’t particularly fond of this technology, it was an eye opener.

I listened to it on one sitting while on a business trip, and it had me engaged from beginning to end. I recommend it.

Not Jane Lynch?

Jane Lynch sound alike aside, love Babs btw!, but her voice aside I have to say this is a great look at practical uses of AI