Luca Guadagnino is not backing away from the potential controversy surrounding “Artificial,” his new film about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the leadership upheaval that briefly removed him from the company in 2023.
The movie, which is set to premiere at the New York Film Festival on Monday, stars Andrew Garfield as Altman. Guadagnino said he is “not afraid” of how Altman or the other powerful figures portrayed in the film might respond.
“I don’t know — maybe they love the movie,” the director said when asked whether he had concerns about their reactions. “I’m not afraid. I think that people that have a lot of power should be very much aware that you must be responsible for the community.”
“Artificial” Revisits Altman’s OpenAI Ouster
“Artificial” focuses on the events of 2023, when Altman was ousted from OpenAI before being rehired. Alongside Garfield, the film features Yura Borisov as OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever, who fires Altman in the story.
Monica Barbaro portrays former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati, while Ike Barinholtz plays Elon Musk. Borisov is identified with his breakout role in “Anora,” while Guadagnino’s directing work includes “Call Me by Your Name” and “Challengers.”
Although Guadagnino did not disclose any direct conversations with the people depicted, he said some of them had made an effort to reach the production through other channels.
He said he was “indirectly approached” by certain individuals portrayed in “Artificial,” but declined to identify them. “We didn’t engage,” he added.
Altman has not publicly commented on the film.
A Studio Change for the OpenAI Drama
The project also underwent a significant shift behind the scenes. Neon picked up “Artificial” after the film’s original studio, Amazon MGM, dropped it following Amazon’s $50 billion investment in OpenAI.
Guadagnino did not offer a detailed account of that change when questioned about it.
“I don’t want to get much into that,” he said. “I love everybody in that company. The people at Amazon are my friends.”
His refusal to elaborate leaves the circumstances around the studio transition beyond the confirmed sequence of events unaddressed: Amazon MGM dropped the project following Amazon’s OpenAI investment, and Neon subsequently took it on.
Guadagnino’s Own Position on AI
Despite making a film centered on prominent artificial intelligence leaders, Guadagnino is not taking an outright prohibitionist position on the technology itself. He said he would not use AI in his own filmmaking, but described his broader response to technological change as one of observation rather than resistance.
“With everything that makes change, I’m very secular,” Guadagnino said. “I welcome change and I witness change. To go against change, somehow it’s not an appropriate approach. You have to wait and see.”
That stance separates his personal filmmaking choices from a broader demand to ban the technology. At the same time, his comments about “Artificial” emphasize the responsibility he believes should accompany substantial power.
What Happens Next?
“Artificial” will make its New York Film Festival premiere on Monday, placing Guadagnino’s depiction of Altman, Sutskever, Murati and Musk before its first festival audience. Whether any of the real-life figures portrayed will respond remains uncertain, with Altman yet to make a public statement about the movie.