Breaking Bad Creator Vince Gilligan Labels Pluribus Made by Humans, Blasts AI as the World’s Most Expensive Plagiarism Machine
As Hollywood leans into automation, Apple TV’s Pluribus draws a hard line: every scene, line, and cut is built by human hands—no algorithms, no exceptions.
Vince Gilligan just dropped his new sci-fi drama Pluribus on Apple TV, and yes, he actually put a humans-only stamp on it. Not metaphorically. In the end credits.
That little line in the credits? Not a joke
When the credits roll, there is a tiny note on a general thank-you card that reads: 'This show was made by humans.' It fits the theme of a series about, you know, humanity — but it is also Gilligan planting a flag. He wants it on the record that no AI helped make this thing.
'I hate AI. AI is the world's most expensive and energy-intensive plagiarism machine,' Gilligan says in an interview with Variety.
He does not hedge, either. He thinks the whole AI wave in entertainment is, at best, wildly overhyped and, at worst, a grift.
'I think there's a very high possibility that this is all a bunch of horseshit.'
He goes further, arguing the push is driven by the richest of the rich chasing an even bigger number.
'It's basically a bunch of centibillionaires whose greatest life goal is to become the world's first trillionaires... I think they're selling a bag of vapor.'
Where the industry is at with AI (and why this stands out)
We are not at the point where every show is quietly outsourcing to generative tools, but we have crossed the line into visible, public-facing use — and the blowback has been loud. A few recent flashpoints:
- Late Night with the Devil (2023) admitted to some AI-assisted effects shots and caught heat for it.
- Marvel's Secret Invasion used AI in its opening credits, which turned into its own controversy.
So Gilligan putting a plain-English disclaimer in the credits is both a creative choice and a statement. Given his track record shaping TV tastes with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, it would not be shocking if other productions start adding similar cards just to make their stance clear.
What Pluribus is about and where to watch
The show stars Rhea Seehorn as one of the rare people left who hasn't been absorbed into a hive mind. The first two episodes are streaming now on Apple TV, with the rest of the season rolling out weekly.