Andrew Garfield Stars as OpenAI CEO in New Film 'Artificial'

Andrew Garfield's performance in the film 'Artificial', directed by Luca Guadagnino, is driven by themes of curiosity and fear. The film, which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival, tells the story of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, and spans a timeline of two decades. Garfield portrays OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, depicting the company's inception, growth, and the dramatic events surrounding Altman's firing and subsequent rehiring in 2023.

Garfield expressed that his motivation for taking on the role stemmed from a desire to understand the individuals at the forefront of AI development. He remarked, "There’s a sense of courage and imagination and resilience these people at the top of these companies must have, the ability to withstand so much criticism and such a microscopic lens on them as people. And it’s important that we do that because we need to know who’s in power and who’s creating our new world."

Interestingly, Garfield did not reach out to Altman for insights while preparing for the role, stating, "I don’t know Sam and I have a lot of compassion for a person who’s my age, almost, and there’s a movie being made about him. It’s not him, but it’s an idea of what this story is and his part in it."

OpenAI did not provide a comment regarding the film when approached by Reuters. In a separate interview with Vanity Fair, Altman noted that he did not anticipate an accurate representation of events in the film.

Key Characters in the OpenAI Narrative

The screenplay, crafted by Emmy-winning writer Simon Rich, features Yura Borisov as Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's co-founder and former chief scientist, who left the company following conflicts with Altman over AI safety and ethical considerations. The film also includes notable portrayals of figures such as Elon Musk, played by Ike Barinholtz, and Mira Murati, portrayed by Monica Barbaro.

The Practical Implications

Filming took place in 2025, coinciding with rising concerns about AI safety and incidents involving OpenAI and other companies. Barbaro commented on the relevance of the film's subject matter, noting, "It’s so fascinating making a film like this when the topic is so relevant right now. We’d be on set, watching two people argue with each other on Twitter, who we were portraying in this movie. It’s exciting and it’s also really daunting because you want to be truthful, but the truth seems to change every month."

'Artificial' is scheduled to be released in Irish cinemas on January 22, 2027, and aims to shed light on the complex world of AI creators and the ethical dilemmas they face.