A new documentary about Elon Musk, titled “Musk,” premiered at the Venice Film Festival and features an Artificial Intelligence avatar that simulates an interview with the SpaceX and Tesla CEO using his own words from past interviews. Filmmaker Alex Gibney explained the choice was intentionally ironic, referencing Musk’s claim that we all live in a simulation and his contradictory views on technology.
Gibney said the avatar was meant to highlight the reality of Musk’s actions against the unreality of his narrative. The production team consulted lawyers before proceeding and secured legal approval to use the AI representation.
The film also follows former conservative influencer Ashley St. Clair, who shares a child with Musk and appears in the documentary. She discusses their relationship, her refusal to sign a nondisclosure agreement guaranteeing paternity support, and the $40 million offer she declined to remain silent. Earlier this year she sued Musk’s AI company after its Grok chatbot enabled the creation of sexually exploitative deepfakes of her, causing humiliation and emotional distress.
“Musk” explores his takeover of X and algorithm manipulation, with Wired reporter Zoë Schiffer noting how the platform was altered to suppress mainstream journalism while amplifying inflammatory voices. St. Clair warns that Musk’s actions stoke division, potentially catastrophic if not regulated. The nearly four‑hour film covers Musk’s traumatic childhood, an interview with his father Errol, his early Silicon Valley days, DOGE work during the Trump administration, and involvement in right‑wing politics.
Interviewees include Tesla co‑founder Martin Eberhard, Musk’s first wife Justine, neurologist Sam Harris, tech reporter Kara Swisher, and former USAID administrator Samantha Power. Gibney calls Musk “extremely dangerous to democracy,” and the film, set for theatrical release in October, raises alarms about the data the so‑called “DOGE boys” gathered on U.S. citizens.
