Deepfaking Sam Altman review (2025)
Deepfaking Sam Altman is a fascinating documentary exploring the threats and vast potential of artificial intelligence.
After collecting SF IndieFest, Hot Docs, Sidewalk FF awards for his documentary efforts, director Adam Bhala Lough was ready for his next project. Lough found himself fascinated with the surge of AI and the man considered the father of the movement, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Lough had a variety of questions that aren’t that uncommon from those skeptically curious about the technology. Naturally, Lough worked in a Terminator reference with the worst-case scenario of machines overthrowing humanity, but on a more personal level, Lough wanted to know if his children would have more AI friends than human ones in their future?
As with most documentary filmmakers, Lough is not a passive wallflower, but he’s not pushing a mic or a phone in a potential subject’s face to get some juicy soundbites. After documentaries where he’s interacted with Lil Wayne, The RZA and Julian Assange, Lough is a more relaxed interviewer who’s less interested in gotcha scenes and more about truly exploring a subject from all viable angles.
It’s why Lough gets so frustrated in his numerous attempts to sit down with Altman to have an open discussion on AI Lough can’t make any headway in just connecting with Altman, who doesn’t so much blow off his communication attempts so much as it appears he doesn’t view Lough of worthy of a response. Not even a polite dismissal from one of his OpenAI minions.
With phone calls and emails getting him nowhere, Lough takes a trip to OpenAI’s San Francisco headquarters. In one of Deepfaking Sam Altman’s more comedic moments, Lough tries to chat with OpenAI employees, who are casually hanging out front of the gate yet claim to have no idea where the operation is located. The employees act like they are guarding the highest of national secrets, which is ironic considering the feed the beast mentality of AI, which demands more and more information.
Frustrated that his well-intentioned efforts have gotten him nowhere, Lough is at an impasse until Altman provides some timely inspiration. Altman and OpenAI released a ChatGPT voice named Sky that reasonably sounds like Scarlett Johansson. Altman has stated Johansson’s 2013 film Her is his favorite, which made the unapproved Johansson voice mimic all the more suspicious.
Inspired by Altman’s clear disregard for Johansson’s wishes, Lough decided he could do the same thing by deepfaking Sam Altman.
Watching Deepfaking Sam Altman than shifts from a somewhat template documentary, or would-be documentary, into almost a unique heist film. Lough and his producer dive into the world of deepfaking — an AI technology that digitally embeds a person’s likeness and voice typically over a stand-in actor. The best deepfakes are done so eerily precisely viewers would have to know beforehand that what they’re watching is a complete digital fabrication.
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Lough starts off with Hollywood contacts to see if anyone would be willing to be his Altman stand-in. With no takers, he travels to India to partner with Devi Singh, a deepfake wizard to work his magic in deepfaking Sam Altman. There are some funny bits with the casting call where Lough describes as full of Instagram models who couldn’t work for the base Altman foundation.
Eventually, Lough finds his Altman match and Devi cues up the deepfake. Lough shows the deepfake isn’t out of the gate flawless as it gets caught up with the gender of San Francisco’s mayor. More compelling is how the deepfake Altman seemingly seems to start manipulating Lough during the interview to set up softer questions.
As the film progresses, Lough starts to have the kind of moral dilemmas it seems Altman might not have considered. Should the deepfaked Altman be destroyed or should it be allowed to continue learning? Are there legal matters that should be addressed before going forward?
The final act isn’t quite as enthralling as snags with the deepfake force Lough to make some changes to his idea for the Altman film. He tries to salvage his initial experiment by taking the deepfake Sam on the road and serve as his co-director. This comes off more like a fun idea than a worthwhile contribution to the film.
More engaging is a conversation Lough has with journalist Kara Swisher, who’s on a texting and calling basis, but wouldn’t call Altman a friend. Swisher lays out Lough’s struggles and his best way to proceed.
Alex MacKenzie’s editing is solid with smooth transitions to archival footage, pop-up imagery all without throwing in an abundance of jarring cuts. Dillon Baldassero and Gavin Brivik’s score fits the hopeful tone of the film with a nice mix of familiar pop culture songs as well.
A subplot that Lough plays out through Deepfaking Sam Altman is his son’s hamster, which is going through a very real health issue. Lough incorporates these segments in a way that initially seems focused to motivate his quest for a better tomorrow, but by the ending has a different meaning.
Deepfaking Sam Altman offers a solid introduction to the world of AI for those who’ve been fearful of the depth of the rabbit hole. Its last act hurts the film’s overall effectiveness, but it’s largely an engaging watch.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Photo Credit: Hartbeat Productions
After checking out Deepfaking Sam Altman, check out Keach Hagey’s
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