--- title: "OpenAI CEO Says He Finally Watched “Ex Machina”" description: "Sam Altman, a tech CEO, has finally watched a movie about sleazy tech CEO that invents a possibly conscious AI humanoid robot. Huh." date: "2023-06-02" modified: "2023-06-02" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/openai-ceo-finally-watched-ex-machina" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "chatgpt" - "OpenAI" - "sam altman" - "the digest" --- # OpenAI CEO Says He Finally Watched “Ex Machina” ![Sam Altman, a tech CEO, has finally watched a movie about sleazy tech CEO that invents a possibly conscious AI humanoid robot. Huh.]() *WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 16: Samuel Altman, CEO of OpenAI, testifies before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law May 16, 2023 in Washington, DC. The committee held an oversight hearing to examine A.I., focusing on rules for artificial intelligence. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images/Win McNamee \* ## On the Movie OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has some breaking news for us: at long last, he's watched the 2015 sci-fi thriller "Ex Machina" — a movie you'd *think* would be required viewing for a guy who [explicitly says]() he's working on artificial general intelligence. "Finally watched Ex Machina last night," Altman [tweeted](). "Pretty good movie but I can't figure out why everyone told me to watch it." Clearly, or well, *hopefully —* you can never be too sure *—* Altman is just being facetious about that last bit, since it should be pretty clear why his followers asked him to check it out. The Alex Garland-directed film tells the story of a computer programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) who wins the chance to visit the estate of his employer's reclusive tech CEO (Oscar Isaac). When he arrives, the CEO asks him to determine if his autonomous, humanoid robot's AI (Alicia Vikander) is truly conscious by administering a Turing test of sorts during his stay. Complications ensue, and it becomes unclear how dangerous the AI might be, and who's testing who. Sound like it might be relevant to Altman's line of work? ## Lessons to be Learned Altman could stand to adhere some of the movie's well-trod cautions on AI, as real life already seems to be reflecting fiction. Earlier this year, one man [allegedly died by suicide]() after extensively talking to an AI chatbot. Do we have to mention how easily AI could be used manipulate us through the [misinformation it effortlessly generates]()? A self-admitted [doomsday prepper]() for a world-ending AI scenario, Altman is also one of the foremost purveyors of the technology, with OpenAI's ChatGPT being a massive cultural sensation, not to mention an institution-shaking tool for [students too lazy to write papers]() and [employers too cheap to pay human writers](). ChatGPT and the advent of other generative AI like the image generators Stable Diffusion are why many feel we are already living in the unfortunate world of some pulp sci-fi paperback too absurd to ever be realized. The irony that Altman would [sign an open letter]() warning of humanity's "risk of extinction" from AI is practically palpable, considering that it was [under his leadership]() that OpenAI went from philanthropic, humanity-first nonprofit [to taking billions of dollars from Microsoft](). So some cognitive dissonance isn't out of order for the CEO, and Altman doesn't show any signs of ending his plays at both sides. Recently, Altman has both [called for more regulation]() and [whined about too much regulation]() in the same month. Anyway, there's plenty to be learned from classic, cautionary sci-fi tales, though as the internet "[Torment Nexus]()" adage warns us, you really can't trust tech companies to take away the right lessons from sci-fi media. **More on AI:** *[Eating Disorder Helpline Takes Down Chatbot After It Promotes Disordered Eating]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()