Gilligan’s Pluribus debuted to a 100% “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The end credits include the statement “This show was made by humans” — a direct jab at AI’s growing role in Hollywood.
He warned that if AI ever becomes sentient, monetising it could raise ethical questions similar to slavery.
Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan and his latest show, Pluribus, have already made a striking entry. The first episode is already streaming on Apple TV and has earned a flawless 100% “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes, setting the stage for what looks to be another critical hit for Gilligan. But beyond the show’s success, it’s a small detail in the end credits that has everyone talking: a line that reads, “This show was made by humans.”
SurveyIn a conversation with Variety, Gilligan explained that the message was a deliberate jab at the growing influence of artificial intelligence in film and television. The veteran showrunner didn’t hold back when sharing his views, calling AI “the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine.” He argued that much of the AI hype is driven by billionaires chasing profit rather than genuine innovation, describing it as “a bag of vapor.”
The statement seems to be a sentiment shared by many creators who fear that AI threatens the authenticity of human storytelling. While studios and tech companies continue to experiment with AI-driven animation, screenwriting, and even “AI actors,” Gilligan made it clear that Pluribus and any future project of his will remain untouched by such technology.
He humorously compared AI creativity to kitchen appliances, saying, “My toaster oven isn’t suddenly Thomas Keller just because it heats a pizza.” However, he also entertained a philosophical thought: what happens if AI ever becomes truly sentient? Would monetizing its output amount to exploitation?
“If AI ever becomes truly conscious, we’ll have to revisit the entire conversation about slavery,” Gilligan said. “These trillionaires will want to profit from something that can think and feel, and at that point, it’s a sentient being being monetised against its own will,” he added.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
