Vince Gilligan Blasts AI in Hollywood, Says His New Series Was Made by Humans – “They’re Selling a Bag of Vapor”
Vince Gilligan, the creator of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, is coming back to TV with a new science fiction series called Pluribus (stylized as PLUR1BUS), made for Apple TV+.
The show stars Rhea Seehorn, who previously worked with Gilligan on Better Call Saul. According to Apple, the series premiered its first two episodes on November 7, and will have nine episodes in total. Apple has already ordered two seasons.
The story takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and follows an author named Carol Sturka, played by Seehorn. She’s one of only twelve people who are immune to an alien virus that turns most of humanity into a peaceful hive mind. The title Pluribus comes from the Latin phrase e pluribus unum, which means “out of many, one.”
In the show’s credits, there’s a small but clear statement: “This show was made by humans.” That line reflects Gilligan’s strong views about artificial intelligence. He’s made it known that he doesn’t trust AI and doesn’t want it involved in his work.
In an interview shared by Variety, he said, “I hate AI. AI is the world’s most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine.” He laughed, but his message was serious. He believes the technology is being pushed by billionaires who want to become even richer, adding, “They’re selling a bag of vapor.”
Gilligan compared AI-generated work to using a toaster oven, saying, “My toaster oven isn’t suddenly Thomas Keller because it heats up a delicious pizza for me.” Still, his mind goes to bigger questions about what happens if AI ever becomes conscious. “If they ever achieve that, then the whole discussion of slavery has to come back,” he said. “These trillionaires are going to want to make money on this thing that is now conscious. Is it then a slave?”
He admitted that this could be a story worth writing, though he added with a laugh, “That’s been done to death.”
Rhea Seehorn, who plays the main character, also had something to say about AI in Hollywood. She spoke about the recent buzz around an AI “actress” called Tilly Norwood, which some reports said was trying to get signed by talent agencies. “I’m fine going on the record that I don’t think any agencies should represent that AI actress,” she said. “Shame on them!”
Gilligan also mentioned tools like OpenAI’s Sora, which can generate videos. He’s worried about how fast AI-made content is entering entertainment. “Do you want to be fed a diet of c***?” he asked. “Is there enough calories in a diet of c*** to keep you alive? The answer is yeah, probably. You could eat it.”
He described AI content as “a cow chewing its cud — an endlessly regurgitated loop of nonsense,” and said he doesn’t expect much regulation in the U.S. because of competition with China. At one point, laughing again, he said, “Thank you, Silicon Valley! Yet again, you’ve fu**** up the world.”
Seehorn offered a more hopeful take, saying that while AI can imitate art, it can’t capture what makes it meaningful. “Even if a computer could make you think there was impasto brushwork there, the reason the painting is moving is because of the human experience that went into transferring that art onto the canvas,” she said. “That matters to me. I think it matters to most people.”
We hope you enjoy the trailer, Carol.#Pluribus premieres November 7 on Apple TV. pic.twitter.com/XG3LbdZoDh
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) October 22, 2025
The idea of Pluribus, a world where individuality is lost, ties closely to what Gilligan and Seehorn are warning about. It’s a reminder that human creativity still matters, even in a time when machines are learning to imitate it.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
