A quietly extraordinary documentary filmed behind the closed doors of Google DeepMind has exploded into one of YouTube’s most-watched non-fiction releases, drawing hundreds of millions of viewers into the rarefied, high-stakes world of artificial intelligence and the scientists attempting to decode the very nature of thought.

As reported by Ben Cohen in The Wall Street Journal, the film — titled ‘The Thinking Game’ — offers unprecedented access to one of the world’s most influential AI laboratories and to its co-founder and chief executive, Demis Hassabis, whose work helped deliver a Nobel Prize in chemistry and reshape modern biological research.

The documentary, directed by American filmmaker Greg Kohs, has surged towards 300 million views since landing on YouTube late last year, an astonishing figure for a film centred on protein structures, neural networks and long-term scientific ambition rather than spectacle or celebrity.

Its popularity is all the more striking given the deeply technical subject matter. Yet the film’s emotional pull — Kohs’ trademark pursuit of cinematic “goosebumps” — appears to have transformed complex research into gripping human drama.

The story traces back nearly a decade, when Hassabis approached Kohs with a provocative challenge: how would one document a scientific turning point comparable to the Manhattan Project? At the time, artificial intelligence was still largely confined to research circles, far from the commercial frenzy it commands today.

Hassabis granted Kohs extraordinary access to DeepMind’s inner workings, trusting the director’s instinct for capturing human emotion rather than corporate messaging. Kohs’ background was unconventional for a technology chronicler; he spent 10 formative years at NFL Films, where he learned to build cinematic narratives from tension, struggle and triumph.

Working as the so-called “weasel cam” operator, Kohs scurried around stadiums searching for emotional moments away from the field — a training ground that later proved invaluable inside the far less visible theatre of scientific discovery.

His relationship with Google began through commercial work, but it soon evolved into something historic. DeepMind initially invited him to document the development of AlphaGo, the AI system that stunned the world by defeating Go champion Lee Sedol. What began as archival recording became the acclaimed 2017 documentary ‘AlphaGo’.

That film cemented trust between Kohs and the lab, leading to a level of clearance rarely afforded to outsiders. He was given unrestricted access to DeepMind’s London headquarters, including secure areas hidden even from some staff.

From 2018 to 2024, Kohs and producer Gary Krieg embedded themselves among researchers tackling one of biology’s grand challenges: protein folding. The problem — predicting a protein’s three-dimensional shape from its amino acid sequence — had stumped scientists for decades.

DeepMind’s solution, AlphaFold, revolutionised the field. By dramatically improving prediction accuracy, the system unlocked structural data for nearly all known proteins, accelerating drug discovery and fundamental biological research. The breakthrough ultimately earned Hassabis and his collaborators a Nobel Prize in chemistry.

Kohs captured the moment of realisation that propelled the project from impressive to historic. In a now widely replayed scene, Hassabis casually suggests running AlphaFold across every protein sequence in existence and releasing the results openly. The decision would democratise access to biological knowledge worldwide.

The film’s emotional spine is strengthened by archival footage from a 1986 BBC interview in which a nine-year-old Hassabis, then a chess prodigy, describes chess simply as “a good thinking game” — a phrase that would later inspire the documentary’s title.

Much of Kohs’ filming took place during Hassabis’ commutes and late-night hours at home, often between 10pm and 4am, alone with a camera and caffeine. The intimacy reveals a driven, restless mind balancing visionary ambition with relentless routine.

Despite Google funding the production and retaining copyright, the documentary resists the hollow sheen of corporate promotion. While undeniably flattering, it offers rare insight into the personalities, doubts and obsessions behind technologies now reshaping economies and societies.

Critics who label it advertising miss the point. The film does what effective journalism and documentary should: humanise complexity and illuminate processes typically hidden from public view.

Its timing also aligns with Google’s resurgence in the AI race. Alphabet’s market value has soared over the past year, recently crossing the $4 trillion threshold, fuelled in part by advances showcased in the film.

For viewers, the appeal lies not only in technological marvels but in witnessing history unfold in real time — the quiet meetings, uncertain experiments and flashes of intuition that precede global transformation.

In the end, Kohs achieved exactly what he set out to create: a scientific documentary that doesn’t merely inform but unsettles, inspires and leaves audiences with the unmistakable chill of watching the future being written.

Legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner will appear posthumously in the upcoming HBO documentary Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, offering heartfelt insights into the decades?long friendship between his late father, Carl Reiner, and comedy icon Mel Brooks.

The two?part documentary debuts on January 22 and 23 on HBO and was directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio.

Reiner’s contributions to the film were recorded in May 2024, before his tragic death in December 2025, when he and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were killed in their Los Angeles home.

His appearance adds an emotional resonance to the project as he reflects on his father’s profound relationship with Brooks, which spanned 70 years of collaboration and friendship.

In the documentary, Reiner recalls early memories of meeting Brooks when he was a young child and how the comedian became a fixture in the Reiner family home.

He describes how his father would play straight man to Brooks in their famous comedy routines, such as The 2000 Year Old Man, and notes, “My father was like a second banana. He never felt like he needed to be the star. He would push Mel into a corner that would make Mel explode with creativity and humor.” Reiner also offers touching reflections on Brooks’ reactions after Carl’s death. “Mel was there when my dad died,” he says, recounting how Brooks found Carl after he collapsed at home. “My dad died right after that.”

Reiner says Brooks continued visiting the family home “for months and months and months” afterward to watch television and share dinner, underlining the depth of their bond.

Brooks, now nearly 100, appears in the film as well, recounting his efforts to keep paramedics working on Carl’s behalf and his own struggle with loss. “I just didn’t want him to go. I wouldn’t accept it. I loved him so much,” Brooks shares, capturing his grief and admiration for his friend.

Reiner was also a liberal political activist who advocated for causes such as LGBTQ rights, early childhood education, and environmental protection, and who campaigned for a variety of Democratic candidates. Reiner chaired the 1998 campaign to pass California’s First 5 childhood education initiative, and in 2008 he and his wife, Michele, co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which initiated the court challenge against California’s same-sex marriage ban.

Actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck has pushed back against growing fears about artificial intelligence reshaping the film industry.

He argued that the technology is more likely to serve as a practical tool than a replacement for human creativity.

Speaking during an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Affleck said he does not believe AI is currently capable of writing meaningful scripts or creating full films independently. He dismissed claims that AI-generated performers could soon replace actors, calling such predictions unrealistic at the present stage of technological development.

Affleck addressed concerns sparked by the rise of AI-generated virtual performers, including references to Tilly Norwood, a fully digital actress introduced in 2025. While acknowledging the controversy surrounding such projects, he maintained that AI lacks the creative depth required to replicate human storytelling and performance.

Instead, Affleck suggested AI will be used similarly to visual effects technology, helping filmmakers streamline costly or logistically difficult aspects of production. He cited examples such as simulating remote or extreme locations, which could reduce expenses and improve working conditions without eliminating jobs.

The actor also emphasized that protections for artists already exist, particularly regarding the use of an individual’s name, image, and likeness. According to Affleck, current laws, along with unions and guilds, provide safeguards against unauthorized commercial use of an actor’s identity, even as technology advances.

Affleck added that public anxiety around AI is often driven by broader fears of technological disruption and amplified by companies seeking to justify large investments in AI infrastructure. He argued that, historically, technological adoption tends to be gradual rather than sudden or catastrophic.

Overall, Affleck framed AI as an evolving tool that could enhance efficiency in filmmaking, rather than an existential threat to creative professionals.

Affleck gained wider recognition when he and Matt Damon won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for writing Good Will Hunting (1997), which they also starred in. He established himself as a leading man in studio films, including the disaster film Armageddon (1998), the action crime thriller Reindeer Games (2000), the war drama Pearl Harbor (2001), and the thriller The Sum of All Fears (2002). After a career downturn, Affleck made a comeback by portraying George Reeves in the biopic Hollywoodland (2006), winning the Volpi Cup for Best Actor.

His directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone (2007), which he also co-wrote, was well received. He then directed and starred in the crime drama The Town (2010) and the political thriller Argo (2012), both of which were critical and commercial successes. For the latter, Affleck won the BAFTA Award for Best Director, and the BAFTA and Academy Award for Best Picture. Affleck then starred in the psychological thriller Gone Girl (2014) and played the superhero Batman in the DC Extended Universe (2016-2023). He starred in the thriller The Accountant (2016) and the sports drama The Way Back (2020). Affleck had supporting roles in the dramas The Last Duel (2021), The Tender Bar (2021) and Air (2023), the third of which he also directed.

Affleck is the co-founder of the Eastern Congo Initiative, a grantmaking and advocacy-based nonprofit organization. He is a supporter of the Democratic Party. Affleck and Damon are co-owners of the production company Artists Equity and were also co-owners of Pearl Street Films.