Amazon’s upcoming film Artificial is shaping up to be a sharp, satirical peek behind the curtain of the AI gold rush.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, the comedic drama will dramatize the turbulent rise of OpenAI and the behind-the-scenes chaos that led to Sam Altman’s brief firing in 2023.
Ike Barinholtz, best known for his role in The Studio, is reportedly set to play none other than Elon Musk-tech tycoon, Twitter/X owner, and co-founder of OpenAI. Barinholtz’s casting adds a surprising comedic edge to the film, especially given Musk’s ongoing public feud with OpenAI and his competing AI venture, Grok.
Andrew Garfield will star as Sam Altman, the controversial yet visionary CEO of OpenAI, while Yura Borisov plays Ilya Sutskever, the enigmatic co-founder who played a key role in the Altman saga.
Described by Variety as a “comedic drama set in the world of artificial intelligence,” Artificial seems poised to blur the lines between tech-thriller and satire, much like Adam McKay’s The Big Short or Don’t Look Up. Guadagnino, who recently directed After the Hunt and Challengers, brings his artful and offbeat sensibility to the story, promising a film that’s as stylish as it is provocative.
The film’s real-life inspirations aren’t just tech titans-they’re walking contradictions. Elon Musk, once a key figure in OpenAI’s creation, is now one of its loudest critics, lashing out over its profit model while promoting his own “free speech” AI embedded into his social media platform. Altman, on the other hand, walks the tightrope between public good and Silicon Valley ambition.
Whether Artificial will serve as satire, biopic, or cautionary tale remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear: Hollywood is moving fast to capture the absurdity, ego, and ethical minefield of the modern AI boom. The film hits theaters October 10-and whether you’re cheering or cringing, you’ll probably have something to say.