Deepfaking Sam Altman

The co-director of the HBO docuseries Telemarketers returns with a look at the tech industry, turning AI back onto one of its main advocates.

Director Adam Bhala Lough sets out to better understand the technology and people at the centre of the AI boom. His search leads him toward the father of AI, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

When he isn’t able to speak with Altman directly, Adam – best known for the HBO comedy‑documentary series Telemarketers – travels to India to create an AI version of him instead. ‘Sam Bot’ becomes a new kind of documentary subject and collaborator, questioning Adam in ways that are surprising, playful and sometimes confronting.

Their conversations dig into what it means to be alive, to create art and to understand one another in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Through unexpected humour and emotional insight, Adam’s journey reveals both the promise and the unease surrounding technologies that are rapidly reshaping our lives.