Affleck is also joining the streaming service as a senior adviser.
Although Netflix did not succeed in acquiring Warner Bros., the company has purchased an AI startup from the internet’s beloved Dunkin’ Donuts fan. Netflix announced today the acquisition of InterPositive, Ben Affleck’s AI firm specializing in film and television production tools. This deal will see all 16 of InterPositive’s engineers and researchers join Netflix, and Affleck will also become a senior adviser for the company.
In a statement regarding the acquisition and his reasons for founding InterPositive in 2022, Affleck shared that his venture into tech was driven by witnessing AI’s early role in production and recognizing the insufficiencies in available tools. He believed he had a duty to protect the role of human creativity and the individuals behind it. For Affleck, Netflix’s track record of applying and scaling technology responsibly makes them the perfect partner for advancing InterPositive.
Affleck stated that he aimed to develop a workflow using language familiar to cinematographers and directors, alongside offering consistency and expected controls. Unlike AI systems focused on generating visuals from text, InterPositive’s technology concentrates on processing raw footage from ongoing productions to create assets used in post-production. In a discussion with Netflix’s CTO Elizabeth Stone and head content officer Bela Bajaria, Affleck highlighted that InterPositive’s tailored models help filmmakers mix, color correct, and develop special effects more effectively.
The technology can manipulate backgrounds, reframe shots, and eliminate elements like visible stunt wires efficiently. Affleck emphasized that InterPositive’s models are designed to allow actors to center on their performances without preoccupying themselves with logistical and technical issues.
InterPositive’s primary selling point is that its models, being specifically trained on individual projects, deliver assets that align with a filmmaker’s vision uniquely. These models depend on dailies to generate useful content, thereby still necessitating human involvement. Netflix hasn’t yet specified when and in what way it will utilize InterPositive’s technology for its projects. However, the streaming service likely anticipates that viewers won’t notice or mind the AI-crafted films and series.