Luca Guadagnino’s OpenAI Movie Will Depict Elon Musk: He’s ‘Not So Bad, as Far as Dictators Go,’ Says the Script — Report
Simon Rich’s script for “Artificial,” the upcoming, Andrew Garfield-starring Luca Guadagnino feature that tackles the company OpenAI, has the chance to be something of an A.I. time bomb, if Matthew Belloni’s description in the Puck newsletter is anything to go by. Belloni read a draft of the script, and —though he’s careful to say he “won’t give away too much” —gives away enough to ruffle some Silicon Valley feathers… and possibly Elon Musk.
According to Belloni, the movie, set for 2026 and produced by Amazon of all places, depicts many of the heavy hitters in the A.I. world but focuses on Ilya Sutskever (to be played by “Anora” Oscar-nominee Yura Borisov), the engineer who co-founded OpenAI. Belloni writes that the character is “leveraged, marginalized, and ultimately betrayed by both his power-hungry friend Altman and the larger Silicon Valley community —with potentially disastrous consequences for all of humanity.”
More from IndieWire
Tom Holland Calls Christopher Nolan's 'Odyssey' the 'Job of a Lifetime,' Promises a Movie 'Unlike Anything We've Ever Seen'
'To a Land Unknown' Review: This Palestinian Twist on 'Midnight Cowboy' Is Full of Masterful Storytelling and Wrenching Humanity
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rle4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R15e4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeAltman is the CEO of OpenAI, a leader that was ousted for five days in November 2023 before making a comeback —the period on which the purported comedy focuses. Altman apparently does not come off too rosy in the script, with Belloni writing that the character is “a liar and a master schemer.” But where Altman is a leading character in the story, another tech heavy hitter makes an impression, too, albeit in what appears to be more of a cameo.
Elon Musk helped found OpenAI but later left. Belloni writes that while he is a “minor character,” Musk is “probably not gonna like this portrayal.” He previewed one line of dialogue, in which Mira Murati, former chief technology officer of Open AI, says, “Elon’s not so bad, as far as dictators go.” Monica Barbaro is currently set to deliver that dialogue, by the way.
Belloni cites an unnamed source who said that other studios were afraid of making a movie that took on Musk, Altman, and A.I. “I’m honestly a little surprised that Amazon would make this movie,” he writes. He also speculates that, if “Artificial” is successful, it could do the kind of damage to A.I. that “The Social Network” did to Facebook.
“So I suppose it’s surprisingandapplause-worthy that Amazon would make this‘Artificial’movie,” Belloni concludes. “Even with the company’s vast resources and relative strength in the tech hierarchy, it’s still a risk to paint some of the most powerful people in the world as reckless with a technology that —if you believe theirownwords —is perhaps the most dangerous the world has ever seen. Especially when Amazon is playing that same dangerous game.”
AdvertisementAdvertisement#«Rqe4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframe AdvertisementAdvertisement#«R1ae4kr8lb2m7nfddbH1» iframeAudiences — and perhaps Musk’s own Grok —will have a chance to form their owns opinions next year.
Best of IndieWire
Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See
'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie
Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
