Ben Affleck is pushing back against what he describes as propaganda surrounding artificial intelligence, arguing that the technology will expand employment in film production rather than eliminate it. The actor, writer and director made his case Wednesday at the Bloomberg Screentime summit in Los Angeles, where he was asked about criticism of Netflix's $587 million purchase of his AI startup, InterPositive.
Affleck founded InterPositive in 2022 and kept the venture largely out of public view until Netflix announced the acquisition in July. The deal stunned much of Hollywood, where Affleck has become one of the industry's most prominent advocates for AI at a moment of widespread anxiety about its effects on creative work.
Asked about the cynical view that Netflix bought the company so it could pursue questionable uses of AI with a respected filmmaker lending credibility, Affleck rejected the premise. He said Netflix cannot afford to alienate the artists it depends on, describing the streamer as highly judicious in its dealings with him and other filmmakers.
Affleck said the fear surrounding AI often dissolves once filmmakers sit with the tools and understand what they can do. He compared the shift to a long history of technological change in film and television, describing AI as another form of computing that provides tools rather than an existential threat. He dismissed comparisons to Skynet, the fictional system from the Terminator films, and said he does not believe AI will take over the business in any meaningful way.
Instead, Affleck said the technology is additive. He pointed to films currently using AI where the same number of people, and in some cases more, are employed. He said Netflix has stayed true to its stated goal of making productions better rather than simply cutting costs or doing harmful things.
Affleck acknowledged using AI for many purposes in his forthcoming Netflix film, Animals, but declined to identify specific examples. He compared the reluctance to a magician revealing tricks before a show, saying filmmakers work to sustain the illusion of reality.
His concerns about AI lie elsewhere. Affleck said he worries about his children in school, citing what he described as a 30 percent rise in the number of A grades awarded at colleges over the past three years. He also raised concerns about learned helplessness and responsible use, arguing that the technology must be incorporated rather than ignored.
Affleck said AI requires people to get comfortable and familiar with it, after which its limitations become clear. He described the technology as knowable once users see its failures and its sometimes dumb nature, a process he said strips away the abstract fear that surrounds it.
The remarks place Affleck at the center of a broader debate in Hollywood over how AI will reshape production, labor and creative control. Studios and streaming services are investing heavily in the technology while writers, actors and crews have raised alarms about job losses and the use of likenesses. Affleck's position as both a major filmmaker and the founder of an acquired AI company gives his argument unusual weight in that debate.
Netflix has not detailed how it will deploy InterPositive's technology across its slate. Affleck's comments suggest the company intends to fold the tools into existing productions rather than use them to replace workers, a claim that will face scrutiny as the technology spreads through the industry.