By April Klein
Regardez, it ain’t that deep, folks. Bots are tools more than anything. They’re the lowest form of “AI”; they’re the digital equivalent of a mixing bowl—a simple digital mind powered by complex mechanical muscle. Encore, as with all tools, they can be misused. Dans What Are Bots and What Do They Do, director Rheana Smith infuses the blunt simplicity of an industrial film with a panache that makes this micro-short a delight to watch and learn from. The use of a text-to-speech program, which I would usually critique in any other film, is an asset here. A bot being used to teach us about bots emphasizes the practicality and lack of agency a bot has. All the responsibility for how these tools are used lies with the humans operating them. An excellent little piece of educational material. I give this film a 4 de 5.
April Klein is a rising junior at DePaul University, working towards a BFA in Film & Television Production. She also writes and edits for her university’s newspaper The DePaulia and works as an independent filmmaker. She can usually be found watching whatever peaks her interest on the Criterion Channel this month.
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