Amazon MGM has canceled the release of Artificial, Luca Guadagnino's film about the firing and reinstatement of Sam Altman as CEO of OpenAI in 2023. The decision comes as the company seeks another studio to distribute it, possibly due to Amazon's $50 billion investment in OpenAI. This move reflects how corporate interests can limit the dissemination of uncomfortable tech stories.
The dilemma of narrating power in the tech industry 🎬
The cancellation of Artificial exposes a classic conflict of interest in the sector: Amazon, owner of MGM, invested $4 billion in Anthropic and, according to reports, another $50 billion in OpenAI through cloud deals. Guadagnino sought to portray the chaos of November 2023, when OpenAI's board fired Altman and then reinstated him after pressure from investors. The plot clashes with Amazon's need to maintain stable relationships with its tech partners.
Sam Altman, the hero his own sponsor doesn't want to see on screen 🤖
So Guadagnino is left without a release, but Altman can sleep easy: his epic saga of being fired and rehired won't hit theaters for now. Perhaps Amazon fears the audience will discover that OpenAI's CEO is more entertaining in real life than in any Hollywood script. Or worse, that someone will laugh at the $50 billion it costs to keep him in office. Meanwhile, the film seeks another home, though with so much investment at stake, it might end up premiering on an AWS server.