Laurie Anderson: “When I think about the reality of what’s going on, I’m terrified” | Interview

Laurie Anderson by Sophie Barloc lead DSC 8519

The presence of an orchestra is one thing Anderson describes as “oceanic”. She elaborates, “The orchestra was for me, on this case – and I haven’t articulated this earlier than – was the ocean, it was the unfurling of the landscapes. It was only a wild, variegated factor.”

The motif current on Amelia which unifies Anderson’s sprawling ventures throughout her profession is the breakdown of know-how. This strikes extra concern right into a listener than the crash itself, which isn’t portrayed explicitly past the calm, lapping waters of the ultimate monitor, “Fortunate Dime”. “I usually use the shortcoming of know-how to save lots of us as a theme, as a result of that’s my perception,” Anderson insists. “Lots of people assume, ‘Oh, don’t fear, we’re going to unravel the local weather disaster as a result of know-how will step in and make things better’, and I’m like, ‘You’re dreaming.’ I all the time preferred this quote from a cryptologist, ‘In case you assume know-how goes to unravel your issues, you don’t perceive know-how – and also you don’t perceive your issues.’”

The world is getting hotter, sooner and extra technological, she believes, and this story is in regards to the progress, velocity, know-how – and a crash. Typically, when folks interview Anderson and ask her to prophesise in regards to the future, she is going to dismiss them with the identical remark: “It’s too quickly to inform that story.” However this time, I needn’t ask. “I’m not optimistic, frankly, about what’s occurring,” Anderson volunteers. “I want I used to be, and I’m on the floor, however really, once I take into consideration the fact of what’s occurring, I’m terrified.”

Naturally, this admitted terror leads us to a dialog in regards to the US election. Of Donald Trump, she says, “He’s vengeful and he desires to punish folks. It’s not wanting good right here, however it’s wanting good for [the UK]. Congratulations, I assumed you had been by no means going to come back again from Brexit. That was a tragic case, however I’m inspired by being right here now. It looks like there’s an excellent vitality.” The day following our interview, Anderson is travelling to Paris, however at the same time as she passes via, the border restrictions are notably extra defensive and the world is a much less welcoming place. “That’s the message of [Trump], that the folks crossing the borders are criminals who will take your jobs. Spreading this bizarre paranoia ought to be felony, scaring folks like that. Folks transfer as a result of they should. Immigration is a truth of life.”

One other menace which has stoked related paranoia is the event of AI. Initially, Anderson embraced it, creating an AI chatbot to emulate her late husband Lou Reed, who died in 2013. Her emotions towards it have all the time erred on the facet of warning, nevertheless, anticipating the disaster of when mental property is aped and unprotected, as expressed in an interview on Q with Tom Power. “It’s an actual new concern for me,” she shares, “as a result of I’ve all the time cherished working with AI, however now it’s biting into our world. We’ve got no alternative. They’re going to take you and use you. The darkish facet of it’s disinformation – it might probably have your identify on it however you didn’t write it, and also you don’t have a whole lot of recourse in lots of circumstances. It occurred to me, and I used to be very offended as a result of they discuss your voice, they take your fashion. You assume, ‘It is going to by no means occur to me’, after which it does. I used to be quoted in a ebook about my husband, direct quotes and actually intimate particulars of issues I’d by no means stated. What do you do about that?”

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