EastEnders star Larry Lamb has dismissed fears that artificial intelligence could replace talented actors, branding AI as 'artificial stupidity' due to its inability to understand humour or irony.
The 78-year-old actor, known for roles in Gavin and Stacey and New Tricks, told the Daily Mail: 'Creative people aren't going to be fazed out by AI, not people with real talent. AI doesn't get jokes, it doesn't get irony. You write out a straightforward question and it comes back with "I don't understand your question." Well, how intelligent is that? That's artificial stupidity.'
Lamb argued that AI is programmed by humans who fail to make it appear less foolish, and he cannot envision a scenario where genuinely talented performers are replaced. He added: 'The fault with AI is that some human being programmes it, and they don't programme it in a way that they don't look stupid. So I can't see that people with talent of any kind really are going to be put out of the picture.'
Now semi-retired from acting, Lamb is focusing on writing poetry, which he describes as an honest reflection of his true self. He said: 'I've spent 50 years being an actor. I'm here as Larry Lamb, not as Archie Mitchell, not as Mick Shipman, not as the 500 other people I've played over the years. So doing poetry for people is like laying your heart out on the line, it's fabulous. You're not saying anybody else's script. This is me representing me.'
Lamb, who played Archie Mitchell in EastEnders, has two acting jobs lined up this year but is enjoying his semi-retired status, using poetry to explore mortality and ageing.
