Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ Has a Unique Perspective on Daddy Issues

Documentaries about prominent tech figures can now be made without their cooperation by using AI and archival material.

Director Alex Gibney's new documentary, 'Musk,' which premieres nationwide Friday, offers a critical look at Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Due to Musk's refusal to be interviewed, Gibney and his team created a "simulated Elon Musk" using archival audio and public statements. The director also enlisted interviews with over "scores" of Musk's associates, including his first wife Justine Musk and ex-girlfriend Ashley St. Claire, though securing interviews with some was challenging due to the perceived risk of speaking honestly about Musk. Notably, Errol Musk, Elon's father, also participated, which Gibney describes as a "watershed" moment. The resulting film is nearly four hours long and reportedly presents a "damning portrait," suggesting Musk's success is partly built on self-promotion and manipulating his companies' stock prices. Gibney intentionally designed the simulated Musk to appear more attractive than his current public image, a choice he linked to themes of image-building and the blurring lines between reality and simulation.

The documentary "Musk" utilizes a simulated Elon Musk, crafted from his own public statements and audio recordings, due to the CEO's refusal to participate. This directorial choice, while ethically complex, allows the film to explore themes of self-mythology and the construction of reality, aligning with Musk's own philosophical leanings. By presenting a "cinematic" version of Musk, Gibney directly engages with the subject's persona on his own terms, leveraging the idea of living in a simulation.

This approach to documentary filmmaking signals a potential shift in how public figures, especially those reluctant to engage directly, can be scrutinized. The integration of AI-generated personas, combined with extensive archival research and interviews with associates, offers a novel method for constructing biographical narratives. It raises questions about authenticity, consent, and the ethics of portrayal when the subject is unwilling to be directly represented, potentially influencing future investigative journalism and biographical works.