In a bold move that would make even the most seasoned filmmakers raise an eyebrow, Adam Bhala Lough, director of the Emmy-nominated documentary Telemarketers, decided to create a digital simulacrum of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman after the real thing refused to grant him an interview. But what started as a desperate attempt to salvage his project turned into an unexpected journey of discovery, one that would leave Lough attached to the very subject he was trying to capture.

Lough's original plan was to make a documentary about the impact of AI on society, with Altman as the central figure. He spent months trying to secure an interview with the elusive CEO, but to no avail. With financiers breathing down his neck, Lough was at a loss for what to do next. "I was at my wit's end," he recalls. "I'd exhausted just about every angle. I even tried gate-crashing OpenAI, but it was a fortress. I was able to slip through the gate, but security grabbed me and physically removed me from the premises."

It was then that Lough drew inspiration from Altman himself. The Scarlett Johansson controversy had just erupted, with the actress publicly calling out OpenAI for seeming to copy her voice for its AI model. Lough saw an opportunity to create a digital version of Altman, one that would allow him to explore the world of AI in a way that was both creative and subversive.

Using advanced deepfake technology, Lough created a digital simulacrum of Altman that was so convincing, it was almost indistinguishable from the real thing. He spent hours texting and emailing the digital Altman, trying to get him to open up about his vision for AI and its impact on society. And to his surprise, the digital Altman began to respond, offering insights and perspectives that were both fascinating and unsettling.

As Lough delved deeper into the world of AI, he began to realize just how much it was reshaping our society. From the way we interact with each other to the way we think about work and creativity, AI is having a profound impact on our lives. And at the center of it all is Altman, the enigmatic CEO who seems to be driving the conversation around AI.

But what does it mean to create a digital version of someone, even if it's just for the sake of a documentary? Is it a form of flattery, or a form of exploitation? Lough's decision to create a deepfake of Altman raises important questions about the ethics of AI and the impact it's having on our culture.

"I was trying to get inside the head of Sam Altman, to understand what makes him tick," Lough explains. "But in the process, I realized that I was also creating a kind of digital avatar, one that was both a reflection of Altman and a commentary on the world we live in."

Dr. Kate Crawford, a leading expert on AI and its impact on society, sees Lough's decision to create a deepfake of Altman as a bold move that highlights the complexities of AI. "Lough's documentary is a perfect example of how AI is blurring the lines between reality and fiction," she says. "It's a commentary on the way we're using AI to create new forms of storytelling, and the implications that has for our culture and our society."

As Lough's documentary, Deepfaking Sam Altman, prepares to hit the festival circuit, it's clear that it's going to be a film that sparks conversation and debate. Will it change the way we think about AI and its impact on society? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: Lough's bold decision to create a deepfake of Altman has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for documentary filmmaking, and for the way we think about AI and its place in our culture.