Bonus Perspectives: California AI Bill, PS5 Price Hike in Japan, "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" back in cinemas, and Sonny Rollins
Bonus Perspectives: California AI Bill, PS5 Price Hike in Japan, "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" back in cinemas, and Sonny Rollins
The beginnings of AI regulation, why the world doesn't need a PS5 Pro, and your weekly media recommendations.
Bonus Perspectives is a weekly column series containing my thoughts on the latest Western news and Japanese news, as well as film, television, music, book, and video game recommendations. It’s free for all subscribers to this Substack, but if you enjoy my writing, consider opting for a paid subscription. Doing so will give you access to exclusive in-depth pieces and my entire backlog of work. Your support is greatly appreciated!
California lawmakers approve a controversial AI regulation bill, decision now in the hands of Gov. Newsom
Whether you like it or not, we now are living in an age where artificial intelligence is slowly creeping into every facet of our lives. Our smartphones use it, our cars use it, our search engines use it, students are using it to cheat on tests, and even our refrigerators use it. I know that I’m going to be called a Luddite for saying this, but we need to slow the hell down when it comes to this gungho embrace of AI. Like with any new technology, rushing things out of the oven half-baked and using flawed systems as a crutch will only lead to disaster. I also don’t think enough people are considering the long-term consequences for a society that willingly chooses to give up more manual control as time goes on.
Well, at least some are thinking about the future of AI. As of this writing, Californian lawmakers have approved a bill that will introduce the strictest regulations on artificial intelligence yet. Senate Bill 1047 stipulates that AI models costing over $100 million to develop must undergo mandatory safety testing. In the worst case scenario, what is essentially a kill switch would need to be properly defined. Safety violations would give the state attorney general justification to sue tech firms. The fate of the legislation is now up to Gov. Gavin Newsom, but since the beginning has been marred in controversy among politicians and Big Tech companies.
Most of California’s Democrats seem to be on board with the bill, but eight Congress members including Nancy Pelosi are opposed to it. They argue that the costs are too high and that smaller startups may be discouraged to get into AI at all due to the potentially high penalties. Unsurprisingly, Google, Meta, ChatGPT, and other large tech forms are against the bill as well.
What is surprisingly to me though is that Elon Musk is actually for the proposed legislation. Despite having quite the libertarian streak to him, the Tesla billionaire has long been for government regulation of AI and appears to fully understand what the dangers for Wild West use of the technology could be. Former whistleblowers at companies like OpenAI also support the bill, as it would offer them increased protections.
I would consider myself in agreement with Musk on this issue. Consider that just last month, thousands of U.S. flights were grounded due to a global computer outage. This also affected business, banks, government agencies, and other vital services. Keep in mind that these are presumably computer systems that don’t use artificial intelligence and still rely on a certain degree of human input. Can you imagine how much worse such an outage would be on a fully automated system?
Senate Bill 1047 demanding what essentially amounts to baseline safety testing should be the bare minimum if AI will inevitably become the default model for everything from security systems to smartphone digital assistants. We already live in a time where digital personal information is regularly leaked and that privacy is essentially an illusion with the reality of Big Tech companies collecting user data. Yet we’re supposed to believe that unregulated AI is going to make us safer? Sorry, but in this case there is no way that corporations can be trusted to wield such dangerous technology without bulwarks in place.
Apart from AI being a potential breeding ground for cyberattacks and other security issues, there are other dangerous aspects of the technology that must be regulated. For one thing, states and federal law enforcement need to crack down on the use of AI-generated child pornography. Earlier this year, the FBI stated that the use of AI tools to create child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) was illegal, but apart from general public service announcements, the official laws on the books have yet to be updated. DeepFake-created pornography is also a highly contentious issue and many are calling for renewed laws around revenge porn.
Beyond just the legal issues around AI, I’m also concerned with the philosophical implications. This is probably a topic better suited for its own article, but I remain extremely jaded about AI-generated artwork, music, and — god forbid — movies. I believe that we’re already at a notably lower point in popular culture compared to other eras, but everything going the AI route is only going to stifle creativity and encourage even more laziness. It gets into deeper discussions around what’s art and what the future of artistic achievement will be, but I don’t trust Hollywood to use it sparingly.
I’ll state again that I’m not a Luddite. I’ve always been an enthusiast for technology old and new. I regularly follow tech-focused YouTubers and remain eternally fascinated by the latest advancements. When it comes to AI, however, I remain a vocal skeptic and believe that we must implement regulations now before the genie is out of the bottle forever. While we may not quite reach the levels of Skynet in Terminator, the potential consequences of becoming completely reliant on AI with no limits are too great to ignore.
Sony is raising the price of the PlayStation 5 in Japan — and somehow also has the gall to soon announce a PlayStation 5 Pro
Note: All prices and exchange rates are accurate as of late August 2024.
Consumer technology is supposed to get cheaper after being on the market for a few years, right? Sony clearly didn’t get that message because instead of cutting the price of their PlayStation 5 in Japan, they’re increasing it. The digital edition will go from 59,980 yen ($412 USD) to 72,980 yen ($503 USD), while the edition with a disc drive will jump from 66,980 yen ($462 USD) to 79,980 yen ($551 USD). The DualSense controller will also cost 11,480 yen ($79 USD) after previously having been 9,480 yen ($65 USD), and the PlayStation VR2 is now 89,980 yen ($620 USD) after launching at 74,980 yen ($517 USD). For context, the PS5 originally cost 39,980 yen ($276 USD) for the digital edition and 49,980 yen ($345 USD) for the disc drive edition at launch in 2020.
This actually marks the second price hike for the PS5 in Japan, the last one having occurred in 2022. Because of these increases, the PlayStation VR2 now actually costs more than an actual PS5 console, which only makes this situation all the more absurd. And if that wasn’t enough, rumors are heavily pointing to Sony announcing a PlayStation 5 Pro within the next few weeks, which is supposed to be a mid-generation refresh of the current console with slightly updated hardware. As of this writing, the updated console has not been officially revealed, but we’ve known from developers for months already that it’s real.
Let me pose a simple question: Sony, what the hell are you doing? Despite being a Japanese company, Japanese consumers are the ones getting the most screwed over when it comes to the latest generation of PlayStation consoles. This might be the first generation I can think of where it actually was a better deal to buy the latest machines at launch rather than waiting for the prices to go down. Japan is still very much a physical media-driven country as well, which means that consumers are primarily buying the more expensive disc drive model.
At ¥80,000 yen, the PS5 is now going to be out of reach for the vast majority of potentially interested Japanese buyers. For context, a baseline Nintendo Switch costs ¥32,978, while the fancier OLED screen model is ¥37,980. With about ¥50,000 left, you could buy multiple games or even an entirely separate Nintendo Switch for someone else. At this point it’s simply much easier to get into Nintendo’s ecosystem over Sony’s, which is something I’m sure the Big N is very much aware of.
Is a PS5 even worth getting? Quite frankly, I’m struggling to answer yes. I was able to get one back in early 2021 when the price was still reasonable. To curb scalpers, retailers across Japan held lotteries offering random customers the opportunity to buy one and my wife happened to be a winner. We split the cost in half, which meant that it wasn’t a huge financial burden. But honestly, the machine has been little more than a glorified PlayStation 4 Pro with better specs and my dedicated 4K UHD Blu-ray player.
Most games released this generation have actually been titles designed with both PlayStation 4 and 5 in mind, which means that the latest specs are hardly being utilized to their full potential. It’s become a meme and somewhat tired joke that the PlayStation 5 “has no games,” but that statement isn’t far off from reality. If one looks at the Wikipedia list for truly exclusive PS5 games that are not available on other consoles, previous generations, or PC, the pickings are extremely slim. Xbox Series X is in an even worse state as all its titles are also available on PC or previous iterations of Xbox One.
Granted, I’m not going to act like there are literally no games for the PlayStation 5. What is available has been mostly enjoyable and even though most are simply upgraded PS4 games, playing them at better frame rates and higher resolutions isn’t something to complain about. But where is the innovation? And what exactly will a PS5 Pro bring to the table? Most speculate that it will make the most difference with upcoming games like Grand Theft Auto VI, but I’m going to bet that very few existing PS5 owners will be compelled to upgrade their hardware. Almost no games now are taking full advantage of the base PS5, so why does Sony seem to think a Pro model will make a difference?
Bringing us back to Japan, I understand that Sony has to deal with an economy that’s facing serious struggles and a weak yen doing very poorly against the U.S. dollar. Significantly jacking up prices on the PS5 again, however, is unlikely to encourage many to fork over the cash for a piece of consumer electronics when most are just trying to make ends meet. It’s anecdotal, but I can tell you that almost no Japanese people I’ve talked to own a PS5. Most are still getting what they need out of their existing PS4 or PS4 Pro. Sales-wise, the PS4 is actually beating the PS5 according to the most recent figures.
I’ll be honest, this is probably the most disappointing video game generation in recent memory. Even though the technology has gotten marginally better, current-gen hardware has done little to justify its expensive cost four years in. While there is still plenty of time to turn things around, I really don’t blame most for either sticking with what they have or jumping ship to building a gaming PC with the Nintendo Switch as their only dedicated console. In the end, don’t feel pressure to upgrade to new consoles if you haven’t already. You probably can get by with what you have now.
What I’m watching — Terminator 2 returns to cinemas
Ok, I seriously didn’t intend to cover AI and Terminator 2 in the same article on purpose, but by pure chance James Cameron’s masterpiece is currently showing in cinemas across Japan. With the film having come out in 1991, I don’t think this is because of any particular anniversary, though some promotional materials they included with my ticket indicate it’s to tie in with “Judgement Day,” or August 29 as depicted in the film. Hey, I’ll watch Terminator 2 any time of the year and especially if it’s via the opportunity to see it in a proper cinema — the way it was always meant to be seen.
Having rewatched this for the first time in a few years, it never ceases to amaze me just how well Terminator 2 continues to age. Yes, it was made in the early 1990s when CGI was just beginning to see greater use in Hollywood films, but that turns out to be one of its greatest strengths. While CGI is now basically a crutch to cut corners, in those days filmmakers had to be very selective with when to use it. Despite such technology being in its infancy, the T-1000 Terminator villain still looks impressive over 30 years later. Terminator 2 was absolutely groundbreaking with how it depicted the machine’s liquid metal and I still think the effects carry more weight than much of the lifeless CGI that infests modern films today.
It also helps that the due to the technological limitations of the time, the CGI is used sparingly. The action in Terminator 2’s is bigger and better than its predecessor, with all its explosions and combustible effects being practical. As the film swells into its third act, audiences are treated to a nonstop medley of breathtaking shoot-outs and car chases that continue to impress today because of how beautifully crafted they are. Regardless of what you may think of James Cameron’s work now, the man is one of the best at making pure entertainment and understanding how important film is as a visual medium.
Amid all the fantastic action, it’s always been the performances of Terminator 2 which stood out to me. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s heavy Austrian accent has frequently been made fun of and parodied, but the T-800 Terminator is arguably his best role because of how much his delivery plays into the character being so memorable. He’s able to turn in a performance that’s appropriately robotic, but somehow still sympathetic to audiences. Robert Patrick as the T-1000 Terminator is the perfect foil with his cold personality appropriately matching the shapelessness of his liquid metal form. Through just a few facial expressions and sheer physicality, both actors do a fantastic job that goes well beyond just playing a couple of robots.
One would be remiss to not mention Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor, her role being significantly more active than the character she played in the first Terminator. Older and wiser, Connor is now a toughened fighter and Hamilton brings in the necessary physical presence. People ironically make a big deal out of strong female characters today, but Terminator 2 from 1991 shows that good writing will always triumph above studios trying to shove in some kind of politically correct message for virtue signaling points. No one ever made a big deal about Sarah Connor being a tough woman because she was simply a good character.
Edward Furlong as the 10-year-old John Connor could have been the film’s weakest link as child actors are hit or miss, but he surprisingly proves to be a very likable character who maintains fantastic chemistry with Schwarzenegger. That’s the biggest reason why I actually prefer the Special Edition cut of the film, as it includes a key scene where John attempts to teach the T-800 how to smile. The theatrical cut omits this sequence, yet still has the T-800 grinning later in the film, which I always thought was somewhat of an odd continuity error.
Of course, the elephant in the room when watching Terminator 2 today is how prescient its themes around uncontrolled AI systems are. The film was truly ahead of its time in considering what this technology could be capable of, which is why the in-universe company Skynet has become a colloquial term for robots taking over the world. As I wrote in the AI section of this column, I doubt that we’ll ever reach the point of losing that much control, but over-reliance on fully automated systems is certainly a serious issue we’ll have to think about in the coming decades.
Terminator 2 is without a doubt in my mind James Cameron’s best work and indeed one of the greatest action films of all time. I never watched any of the other Terminator movies beyond the first two apart from Terminator Genisiys, which as you can probably imagine didn’t really compel me to watch the other sequels. Like most good ideas, it’s a story that can’t really be repeated again, and James Cameron specifically wrote Terminator 2 with no sequel in mind. That’s perfectly fine with me. As far as I’m concerned, the franchise stopped here.
What I’m listening to — The jazzy soundscapes of Sonny Rollins
I’ve always loved jazz. While many my age today consider it to be an archaic form of music, something only listened to by their parents and grandparents, I couldn’t disagree more. Without jazz, you don’t get the basics of other genres like rock and hip-hop. It’s probably the most quintessentially American form of music and shouldn’t be neglected just because it currently isn’t experiencing the same levels of mainstream popularity it once had.
Whenever I’m asked to give recommendations of where someone should start with jazz, the likes of Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane come to mind. All very fine, accessible choices who provide easy listening for anyone who wants to get into the genre for the first time. Perhaps my favorite, however, is Sonny Rollins. This week will mark his 94th birthday, making him incredibly one of the last jazz musicians of his generation to still be alive.
Born in New York City on September 7, 1930, Rollins learned tenor saxophone at a young age after switching from piano and alto sax. He was already playing professionally by age 18 and quickly rose in fame. His arrest in 1950 for armed robbery and later legal issues with heroin use could have ended the young man’s career, but Rollins was able to get to sobriety in a few years to fully devote himself to music.
Working with giants from Miles Davis to Max Roach, even Rollins’ earliest albums displayed his knack for incredible melodic innovation and technique. One of the crown jewels of my music collection is a box set of Rollins’ discography with the label Prestige. Despite having been recorded in the 1950s, everything sounds incredibly fresh and crisp, which is a testament both to the enduring quality of the music itself and the surprising quality of the microphones used back then.
Rollins had an extremely prolific career over seven decades. Tenor Madness is essential for being his only collaboration with John Coltrane, Saxophone Colossus is one of the most important jazz albums of all time as a pioneer in the sub-genre of hard bop, Way Out West expanded those themes even further, and his sole film score for the Michael Caine comedy Alfie is even more famous than the motion picture itself.
While some Sonny Rollins albums are more historically notable or interesting than others, there really is no such thing as a “bad” Sonny Rollins performance. He’s even responsible for a few jazz standard tracks like “St. Thomas” and “Doxy,” which are still regularly performed and covered by musicians to this day. Rollins eventually announced his retirement from music all together in 2014 due to health issues and is now quietly enjoying his twilight years after having sold his music library to Reservoir Media.
Despite his advanced age, Rollins still gives regular interviews to the press and comes across as being largely at peace. It will be a shame when he’s eventually no longer with us, but I consider myself fortunate to have been alive at the same time as one of the greatest musicians of all time. His expansive oeuvre ensures that people will still be listening to and performing the music of Sonny Rollins centuries from now just as we do with the music of Mozart and Beethoven today.
Here are my recommendations:
“Tenor Madness” from Tenor Madness with John Coltrane
“St. Thomas” from Saxophone Colossus
“Moritat” from Saxophone Colossus
“Solitude” from Way Out West with Duke Ellington
“Oleo” with the Miles Davis Quintet
“Doxy” with the Miles David Quintet
“Alfie’s Theme” from Alfie
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