Amazon Drops OpenAI Deal, Data Center Workers Push Back, Meta Leaks Employee Data
▼ Summary
– Amazon’s MGM Studios dropped the film “Artificial,” a biographical drama about OpenAI’s November 2023 leadership crisis, after nearly completing production.
– The movie, directed by Luca Guadagnino and described as “The Social Network for the AI Age,” stars Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman and portrays him negatively.
– Amazon’s decision to drop the film has drawn criticism, with observers linking it to Amazon’s $50 billion investment in OpenAI and a $38 billion compute deal.
– The film’s narrative reportedly casts former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever as the hero, focusing on the board’s perception of Altman as duplicitous.
– This incident highlights the increasing entanglement of the film and tech industries, where tech billionaires’ investments influence which movies get made.
Amazon has abruptly dropped a major film project about OpenAI, raising questions about corporate influence in Hollywood as tech giants tighten their grip on the entertainment industry. The movie, titled Artificial, was nearing completion at Amazon’s MGM Studios with a $40 million budget when the streaming giant suddenly pulled the plug, stating the film “would be better served if it were released by another studio.”
Directed by the filmmaker behind Call Me by Your Name and Challengers, Artificial is a biographical drama centered on OpenAI and the dramatic events of November 2023, known internally as The Blip. That was the chaotic period when Sam Altman was abruptly fired by OpenAI’s board of directors, only to be swiftly reinstated after a near-total employee revolt. The film has been described as “The Social Network for the AI Age,” featuring Andrew Garfield as Sam Altman and Monica Barbaro as former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati.
The decision to drop the film has sparked criticism, with many viewing it as Amazon doing a favor for Altman. The movie reportedly portrays the OpenAI CEO in an unflattering light, focusing on allegations that he was duplicitous and told different people what they wanted to hear. Ilya Sutskever, the former chief scientist of OpenAI, reportedly emerges as the hero of the story, having since founded a company dedicated to safe artificial intelligence.
The context here is crucial. Amazon has invested $50 billion in OpenAI, and the two companies recently struck a $38 billion compute deal. As one observer noted, when Amazon says the movie will be better served by another studio, what they really mean is the studio will be better served by another movie. This is a glaring example of how tech billionaires now control Hollywood, determining which stories get told and which get buried.
Amazon owns MGM. Paramount is being acquired by Larry Ellison’s family. The lines between the film industry and the tech industry are blurring fast. This isn’t just about one movie. It’s about who controls the narrative when the biggest players in AI are also the biggest players in entertainment.
(Source: Wired)
