7.2.24
The databank know my number
Says I gotta pay 
‘Cause I made the grade last year
Feel it when I turn the screw
Kicks you round the world,
There ain’t a thing that it can’t do
Do to you

Night before last, I watched one of my go-to summer movies. Maximum Overdrive.

If you’re unfamiliar with it, Maximum Overdrive is a legendarily so-bad-it’s-good movie. It’s an adaptation of a Stephen King story in which a comet passes Earth and causes machines to come to murderous life. It’s the only movie King directed, and he did so at the height of a blistering cocaine addiction.

The movie is a beautiful mess.

And it’s got a soundtrack by AC/DC.

Who Made Who doubles as the name of the opening song and the title of the soundtrack. It plays as vehicles cross a drawbridge that comes to life, lifting itself open as motorists struggle to survive an increasingly perilous situation. The bridge operators are blissfully unaware of the situation until it’s too late. I maintain that if the movie was able to meet the standard of this opening scene, it would be a true classic.

The song features a distinctive guitar riff and a catchy melody that hooks listeners right from the start. AC/DC’s signature sound, characterized by Angus Young’s electrifying guitar work and Brian Johnson’s powerful vocals, is prominently displayed in this track.

Anyway, one of the big themes of Maximum Overdrive is the idea implied by the title of the song. Humans made the machines, but the machines wind up with the upper hand. So in the long run, who made who?

The lyrics play with themes of technology and human creation, fitting well with the soundtrack for the film Maximum Overdrive. The lyrics are straightforward yet thought-provoking, which resonates with many listeners.

I was struck in a fresh way by Brian Johnson’s screeching vocal performance the other night. My suspension of disbelief was shattered by the realization that we are now at — or possibly past — a tipping point with technology, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI). 

The lines have blurred to the point of near-total obfuscation between what is created by humans and what is created by machines. In our race to work smarter, not harder, we’ve made incredibly dumb decisions and ceded some of the things that make us special — especially our creativity — to the machines and the digital ghosts that inhabit them.

Who Made Who has become a cultural touchstone, often associated with the 1980s rock scene and a staple in AC/DC’s live performances. Its inclusion in soundtracks and frequent radio play have cemented its place in rock music history. 

As we back ourselves further and further into the corner we’ve made for ourselves with AI, we might not yet need to ask the question, who made who? But we already find ourselves scratching our collective heads and asking, who made what?

For example, I didn’t write this piece on my own. The following paragraphs were written by ChatGPT from the prompt: What makes AC/DC’s Who Made Who a great song?

• The song features a distinctive guitar riff and a catchy melody that hooks listeners right from the start. AC/DC’s signature sound, characterized by Angus Young’s electrifying guitar work and Brian Johnson’s powerful vocals, is prominently displayed in this track.
• The lyrics play with themes of technology and human creation, fitting well with the soundtrack for the film Maximum Overdrive. The lyrics are straightforward yet thought-provoking, which resonates with many listeners.
• Who Made Who has become a cultural touchstone, often associated with the 1980s rock scene and a staple in AC/DC’s live performances. Its inclusion in soundtracks and frequent radio play have cemented its place in rock music history.

Could you tell? I’m guessing not, which is either kudos to the progress ChatGPT has made in 18 months or a sign that I need to really up my writing game.

We’re all on that drawbridge right now, the road beneath us slowly splitting and lifting us aloft at precarious angles. That bridge has a mind of its own, and the operators aren’t paying any attention. Can we get off before it’s too late? Or do we end up in a big pile of destruction?