Amazon will unveil news about “Artificial”, Luca Guadagnino’s new feature‑series, at next week’s CinemaCon. Before the official announcements, I obtained insider information that allows us to understand what the director is preparing, without spoiling the surprise.
Although the press has highlighted Andrew Garfield in the role of Sam Altman, the central focus of the plot falls on Ilya Sutskever, portrayed by Yura Borisov. Ilya, co‑founder of OpenAI and former head of research at the company, will be the pivot of the crisis that culminates in Altman’s dismissal and swift rehiring in 2023.
Sam Altman, while important, is not the antagonist; the narrative explores a scenario where manipulators and the manipulated confront each other, providing a radiography of Silicon Valley intrigues and the race for generative AI. Microsoft will have a prominent role in the crisis, while Elon Musk, played by Ike Barinholtz, will appear in a more caricatured manner, reflecting his frustration at watching ChatGPT’s success after his departure from OpenAI.
Monica Barbaro portrays Mira Murati, former OpenAI CTO and Ilya’s partner during the conflict, playing a crucial role in the unfolding of the story.
The film also includes scenes of programmers playing Dota during work hours, reinforcing the portrayal of tech professionals as simultaneously brilliant and vulnerable.
Guadagnino blends suspense and humor, with dialogue reminiscent of the tone of “The Big Bang Theory”. A hallucinogenic sequence, which may still be cut, shows an AI taking over the world, marking the turning point for Borisov’s character. The soundtrack will be handled by Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, bringing a singular musical touch to the project.
The script, penned by Simon Rich, has already entered post‑production, but there is still no official release date. Amazon’s panel at CinemaCon will take place on April 15, where more details will be revealed.
