Musk documentary premieres in Venice with AI avatar at its core

VENICE, Italy — A new documentary on Elon Musk premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday, employing an artificial intelligence-generated avatar of the billionaire to conduct a simulated interview. Filmmaker Alex Gibney said the creative choice was deliberately ironic, referencing Musk's own theory that humanity lives in a simulation while also highlighting the entrepreneur's evolving stance on AI technology.

Gibney explained that the approach was meant to convey the contrast between Musk's tangible achievements and the often-unreal nature of his public narrative. The production team consulted legal experts before proceeding with the avatar, receiving clearance to use it.

The nearly four-hour film, titled "Musk," features Ashley St. Clair, a conservative influencer who shares a child with Musk. St. Clair discussed her relationship with him, his character, and her refusal to sign a non-disclosure agreement in exchange for paternity support. "I was offered the opportunity not to speak for $40 million," she said. She has also filed a lawsuit against Musk's AI company over its Grok chatbot, which she alleges allowed users to create sexually exploitative deepfake images of her.

The documentary examines Musk's acquisition of X (formerly Twitter) and alleged manipulation of its algorithm. Gibney stated that Musk appeared to prioritize "vitriol and hate" over the platform's role as a digital town square. Journalist Zoë Schiffer, featured in the film, added that the algorithm was tweaked to suppress mainstream journalism while amplifying inflammatory voices. St. Clair accused Musk of deliberately stoking division that could prove catastrophic if left unchecked.

The film traces Musk's traumatic childhood, including an interview with his father Errol, and follows his journey from early Silicon Valley days to his work with the Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration. Gibney noted the film's scope expanded significantly after Musk became involved in the presidential campaign.

Interviewees include Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard, first wife Justine Musk, neurologist Sam Harris, tech reporter Kara Swisher, and former USAID Administrator Samantha Power. Gibney called Musk "extremely" dangerous to democracy, raising concerns about the access his team had to sensitive government data. The film is scheduled for theatrical release in October.