After Amazon MGM dropped Luca Guadagnino‘s movie “Artificial” about Open AI founder Sam Altman, the Italian director has commented on his feelings on artificial intelligence, though he declined to speak about the film specifically.
When host Lilli Gruber of the show “Otto e Mezzo” on Italy’s La7 Attualità asked him on Friday why the film was perceived as dangerous, Guadagnino said, “Unfortunately, I can’t say much because we are right in the middle of this situation.”
Mubi is among the distributors still circling the film starring Andrew Garfield as Altman, which Amazon exited several months after striking a significant partnership with Open AI. The deal was set to expand OpenAI’s use of Amazon Web Services and develop custom AI models, which included a $50 billion investment on Amazon’s part.
It’s far from the first time this type of commercial and political pressure has happened, Guadagnino noted. “I was reading a great article yesterday recalling how, back in 2003, CBS cancelled a major drama series about the Reagans due to pressure from Republicans,” he said. “It was actually cancelled, though it later aired on a smaller channel.”
Here, Guadagnino pivoted to discuss the broader AI debate.
