【AI前沿】The Creators of ‘Hacks’ Really, Really, Really Hate AI

Katie DrummondThe Big StoryMay 12, 2026 6:30 AMThe Creators ofHacksReally, Really,ReallyHate AIAhead of the hit show’s finale, cocreators Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello talk about media consolidation, the perils of censorship, and why they find AI “deeply disturbing.”Photo-Illustration: WIRED Staff; Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyIf you’re aWIRED reader who usesAIin any creative context, I’d suggest staying far, far away from anyone involved in the TV showHacks. In an interview earlier this year, actor Hannah Einbinder (who plays young comedy writer Ava Daniels on the show) described AI creators as “losers,” “not artists,” and “not special.”The show’s cocreators couldn’t agree more. In a wide-ranging conversation forThe Big Interviewahead of theHacksseries finale on HBO Max, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello were resolute about the value of human creativity—and what can be lost when AI enters the picture.If their work onHacksis any indication, Downs and Aniello (along with their third cocreator, Jen Statsky) would be wise to stick with the tough, tiring, absolutely-no-shortcuts approach they take to making entertainment. Across five excellent seasons—if you haven’t seen the show, I really do recommend it—Hackshas been praised for its sharp writing and wit, and its thoughtful portrayal of Deborah Vance and Ava’s complex, constantly evolving relationship. The show has also acted as something of a mirror for the real-world entertainment industry, weaving in plotlines that tackle everything from media consolidation to corporate censorship to, yes, artificial intelligence.The show’s cast and creators have been on a media whirlwind as it all comes to an end. (If you keep seeingHacksfodder on your Instagram feed, trust me, you are not alone.) When they came knocking on WIRED’s door, we jumped at the chance to chat, and I was lucky enough to spend an hour with Downs and Aniello—both WIRED subscribers, much to my delight—earlier this month. Here’s our conversation.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.KATIE DRUMMOND: Lucia Aniello and Paul Downs, who I just learned are married, congratulations and welcome toThe Big Interview.LUCIA ANIELLO:Thank you so much.PAUL W. DOWNS:You should have been there. You should have been there.Aniello:Ugh, why didn’t we bring you? That’s crazy. Next time. We are going to renew for our 10-year at the same place though.Where was the wedding?Aniello:It was in Italy. It was in Tuscany. That’s all I’ll say.Downs:Lucia was born in Italy, so it was closer to a lot of family.And you were married in what year?Aniello:2021.So I have some time, like another five years …Downs:You have time to find your look. Don’t stress.A major priority for me in my life is perfecting my look. It’s very important to us at WIRED, having our look down.Aniello:Fashion first, that’s WIRED. That’s you guys, right?We do work at Condé Nast, and my boss is Anna Wintour. So “fashion first” has become more of a priority for me than it used to be. It’s like “fashion third,” you know?Downs:Fashion third. I like that.My husband and I blew through a bunch of season 5 ofHacksthis weekend. I’m excited to talk to you about the show, and I want to start by talking about women, a subject close to my heart, as I am one. But I also run a magazine that was run by men for years.I’m surrounded by men. They’re everywhere in my life. They’re everywhere in our coverage. And this show I love, in particular, because it centers around this relationship between these two women, who are very powerful in different ways in their own right, and they have this very complicated relationship and this big generational gap.Lucia, you have another cocreator, Jen, who’s not here. But how did the three of you think about writing those characters? What was important to you in centering the show around the relationship between these two women?Aniello:One of the things that was appealing to us was the idea that, yes, they are two women of different generations, who are both comedians, and they have a lot in common and a lot not in common. But we were really interested in the collaboration between two female artists. Because that is what they are.They are comedians who love creating work, and that is in the end of the pilot. Spoiler if you haven’t seen it, but you should go see it. They don’t get along in their initial meeting at all, and they just argue. But there’s a little spark, and that little spark is they’re making jokes about each other. They keep pitching on them and they try to make it better.You can see that it’s a creative turn-on for them. So for us the idea that these women, in the process of creating art together, become more and more entrenched in each other’s lives, and it changes them as people, and therefore changes the work as well. I think we’re really interested in the way that the material comes from their lives, and their lives then bleed back into the material.Tha