Nick Offerman has long been outspoken against the intrusion of AI in both Hollywood and life in general, and he reiterated that belief on Thursday, as the actor stopped by “The View.” According to the “Parks and Rec” alum, he’s actively trying to encourage people to embrace the “magic of being human.”
To do so, Offerman has written a new book, called “Little Woodchucks: Offerman Woodshop’s Guide to Tools and Tomfoolery.” In short, it’s a book that teaches kids and adults alike how to make things out of wood and other materials. Offerman is, of course, well-known for being a woodworker in real life, but he noted on Thursday that the book is meant to defy tech companies.
“In this day and age where companies are taking over the curation of our lives, like, they want AI to think for us,” he explained. “I love my clumsy, stupid farmer voice, I would never want a robot to write my song for me, because my song is stupid in a wonderful, delicious way that’s all about my voice! I don’t want to give over my agency.”
“And so, this book is to encourage people to love the magic of being human, something that a robot can never do,” he continued. “Because when you make things with tools, and you know how the world is put together, that’s a great way to say ‘I love you.’”
Naturally, Offerman brought several examples of creations from the book with him, including a literal slapstick. At one point, he joked that it wasn’t for a joke, but rather to swat people with.
As Offerman pretended to swat at host Joy Behar, she recoiled pretty hard and rolled her eyes, but eventually laughed along.
“The View” airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET on ABC.
