Netflix acquires Ben Affleck’s AI startup

Ben Affleck has sold his artificial intelligence startup, InterPositive, to Netflix as part of his effort to merge technology with filmmaking.

The Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker confirmed that the streaming platform acquired the company as part of a broader push to invest in tools designed for creators.

Netflix has said the move supports its focus on innovation that keeps filmmakers central to the creative process.

Affleck, 53, will remain involved as a senior adviser. Trade publication Variety reported that InterPositive’s team of 16 engineers, researchers, and creatives will join Netflix. Their technology is expected to support post-production work across the platform’s film and television projects.

In a statement, Affleck said he spent much of 2022 studying the rapid emergence of AI within film production. 

“In 2022, I spent a lot of time observing the early rise of AI in production,” said Affleck in a statement. “For artists to apply these tools towards telling the stories we dedicate our lives to, they need to be purpose-built to represent and protect all the qualities that make a great story.”

Instead of copying performances, InterPositive trained its AI on filmmaking techniques to create tools that help directors and editors while keeping creativity human-led.

Affleck also discussed the technology in a conversation released by Netflix alongside chief content officer Bela Bajaria and chief product and technology officer Elizabeth Stone. 

Early demonstrations of generative video had initially alarmed him, he said, but closer inspection suggested the technology often struggled to deliver reliable results.

The deal arrives months after Affleck and longtime collaborator Matt Damon struck an unusual agreement with Netflix on their action thriller The Rip. 

More than 1,200 crew members were promised performance bonuses if the film succeeds on the platform, a rare arrangement in streaming productions.