Ben Affleck Sells AI Startup InterPositive to Netflix, Takes Advisory Role
In a significant development amid ongoing Hollywood debates about artificial intelligence in cinema, Oscar-winning actor and director Ben Affleck has sold his AI-powered startup InterPositive to streaming giant Netflix. The acquisition was confirmed by Netflix in an official statement, highlighting the company's commitment to investing in creator-led innovation that keeps filmmakers central to the creative process. Following the sale, Affleck will join Netflix as a senior advisor, bringing his expertise to the platform's technological and creative endeavors.
About InterPositive: The AI Startup Focused on Filmmaking
According to a detailed report on Netflix's official page, InterPositive comprises a dedicated team of 16 engineers, researchers, and creative professionals. The startup's technology is designed to support post-production work across Netflix's diverse range of projects. In discussions with company executives, Affleck emphasized that the AI tools developed by InterPositive are intended to assist filmmakers rather than replace creative talent. He articulated a vision where technology enhances human judgment and experience in storytelling.
Affleck stated, "We also need to preserve what makes storytelling human, which is judgment. The kind that takes decades to build, experience to hone and that only people can have. I knew I had a responsibility to my peers and our industry, to protect the power of human creativity and the people behind it. In creating InterPositive, I sought to do just that."
The Motivation Behind Founding InterPositive
Explaining his inspiration for launching the company, Affleck shared his goal to develop a workflow that captures the essence of on-set activities using language familiar to cinematographers and directors. He aimed to incorporate consistency and controls that industry professionals expect, ensuring the technology aligns with existing filmmaking practices.
Research and development efforts at InterPositive led to the creation of their first AI model, which focuses on training around filmmaking techniques rather than performances. This approach ensures that artists retain control over how the tools are utilized, maintaining creative autonomy.
AI Tools Designed for Responsible Exploration
Affleck reiterated that the tools function with restraint, emphasizing their design for responsible exploration while keeping creative decisions firmly in the hands of artists. He elaborated that the technology is structured to ensure benefits flow directly back to the story being told.
He explained, "You have to create your movie essentially first before you can really build your model around your movie using AI. And once you do that, you have your model, you control it."
Ben Affleck's Perspective on AI Lowering Production Costs
This development follows recent comments from Affleck, who described AI as a "craftsman at best" during an interview at the 2024 CNBC Delivering Alpha investor summit. The 'Batman' star asserted that movies would be among the last things to be replaced by AI, if at all.
While noting that "Nothing new is created" with AI, he highlighted its potential to streamline laborious, less creative, and costly aspects of filmmaking. Affleck believes this will reduce production costs, lower barriers to entry, and amplify diverse voices in the industry.
He elaborated, "What AI is going to do is dis-intermediate the more laborious, less creative, and more costly aspects of filmmaking that will allow costs to be brought down, that will lower the barrier to entry, that will allow more voices to be heard, that will make it easier for the people want to make ‘Good Will Huntings’ to go out and make it."
The acquisition marks a strategic move for Netflix as it continues to integrate advanced technologies into its content creation pipeline, balancing innovation with a commitment to human-centric storytelling.
