Ike Barinholtz Calls Tech Titans 'Douchey,' Expresses Concern Over AI's Impact
The actor, who plays Elon Musk in the upcoming film 'Artificial,' shared his reservations about artificial intelligence and the tech industry.
Actor Ike Barinholtz has voiced his critical view of prominent figures in the technology industry, describing them as "douchey." In an interview with Page Six at the New York Film Festival premiere of "Artificial," Barinholtz, when asked to rate the "doucheyness" of tech titans on a scale of one to 10, initially responded with "a million," before humorously amending his estimate to "somewhere in between."
Barinholtz stars as Elon Musk in "Artificial," a film directed by Luca Guadagnino. The movie also features Andrew Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, focusing on Altman's controversial dismissal and rehiring in 2023. The ensemble cast also includes Jason Schwartzman, Yura Borisov, Cooper Hoffman, and Billie Lourd.
The actor, known for his role in "The Mindy Project," confessed to being apprehensive about the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.
"I try to be an optimist and I will continue to be until I’m proven wrong, but I am nervous about it very much," Barinholtz stated. "[I’m] worried about people’s jobs. People need to have a reason to live, and work, and do things, and I just want to make sure we’re not celebrating that too much."
"Artificial" is slated for release in early 2027 by Amazon MGM, with a strategy to avoid direct competition with "The Social Reckoning," a sequel to "The Social Network" that reportedly dramatizes the 2021 Facebook data leak and the roles of Frances Haugen and Jeff Horwitz. Reports suggest that the portrayal of both Altman and Musk in "Artificial" may not be sympathetic, adding a layer of complexity given Altman's connection with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.