Netflix buys Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking company InterPositive

Netflix on Thursday morning said it is acquiring InterPositive, a filmmaking technology company founded in 2022 by actor Ben Affleck.

The acquisition aligns with Netflix’s approach to the use of generative AI in filmmaking: The company has already used generative AI for special effects in some original content, and has assured investors that it is “very well positioned to effectively leverage ongoing advances in AI.”

Affleck wrote in a statement that he began thinking about how AI would impact the future of filmmaking in 2022. He says he wanted to “preserve what makes human storytelling human, which is judgement,” and sought to “protect the power of human creativity.”

InterPositive isn’t trying to make AI actors or synthetic performances. Rather, the company has created a model that helps production teams work with footage from their own productions to help make edits in post-production, like addressing continuity issues, making lightning adjustments, or enhancements to the environment.

“Intensive research and development led to our first model, trained to understand visual logic and editorial consistency, while preserving cinematic rules under real-world production challenges such as missing shots, background replacements or incorrect lighting,” Affleck wrote.

“We also built in restraints to protect creative intent, so the tools are designed for responsible exploration while keeping creative decisions in the hands of artists — and ensuring that the benefits of this technology flow directly back to the story they’re trying to tell.”

Affleck is joining Netflix as a senior advisor as part of the deal. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Our approach to AI has always been focused on meaningfully serving the needs of the creative community and our members,” Elizabeth Stone, Netflix’s chief product and technology officer, said in a statement. “The InterPositive team is joining Netflix because of our shared belief that innovation should empower storytellers, not replace them.”