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Amazon MGM withdrew from distributing *Artificial*, director Luca Guadagnino's biographical drama about OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, citing that the film would be "better served if it were released by a different studio." The decision came after Amazon's $50 billion（約8兆円） investment into OpenAI earlier this year. Meanwhile, Google's DeepMind AI arm struck a $75 million（約120億円）, multiyear "research partnership" deal with A24 to develop filmmaking technologies, and other major studios including Disney, Netflix, and Paramount Skydance have pursued their own AI partnerships or acquisitions.
Why it matters
The pattern suggests studios are now reluctant to greenlight films portraying AI executives negatively once they have financial stakes in the AI industry. Amazon's pullback from *Artificial*—which chronicles the 2023 period when Altman was fired from and then rehired by OpenAI—came despite the movie being nearly finished and scheduled for release. The larger concern is that studios' business interests in AI may replace the willingness to produce critical narratives about the technology and its leaders, potentially ushering in an era where films about AI are produced by studios unwilling to say anything insightful or negative about the industry.
What to watch
*Artificial* was written by Simon Rich and chronicles the tumultuous 2023 events at OpenAI, when the board alleged Altman was hindering the company's governance through inconsistent communication, leading to his firing and swift rehiring after employee pushback. Neon and Mubi are still reported to be interested in acquiring the film. The DeepMind–A24 partnership has already drawn online criticism following A24's announcement, suggesting that future studio entanglements with tech firms may face public scrutiny.
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