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At Sundance, 'The AI Doc' Secures March 27 U.S. Release From Focus Features

The film channels the directors' impending parenthood into an 'apocaloptimist' stance capped by a 'do not train AI' warning.

Overview

  • The documentary premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and will open in the United States on March 27 via Focus Features.
  • Early critical response diverged, with IndieWire grading it B+ and TheWrap issuing a sharply negative review, while UPI praised its human-centered approach.
  • The filmmakers obtained on-camera interviews with AI leaders including OpenAI's Sam Altman, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, and DeepMind's Demis Hassabis, with Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk not participating.
  • To translate complex concepts, the production leans on handmade animation and stop-motion, including a recreated version of director Daniel Roher’s Los Angeles studio.
  • The team conducted more than 40 interviews, generated thousands of transcript pages, and extended production to nearly three years as AI developments rapidly evolved.