Netflix acquires Ben Affleck's AI film-tech firm
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
March 5 : Netflix said on Thursday it has acquired InterPositive, a filmmaking technology company founded by Academy Award winner Ben Affleck that produces artificial intelligence-powered tools for movie production.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The media industry is warming up to the idea of using AI for content and storytelling, a major pivot from Hollywood's earlier concerns about the new technology challenging creative jobs and intellectual property rights.
Late last year, Disney announced plans to allow OpenAI to use characters from its Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises in the startup's Sora AI video generator.
Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review
Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.
This service is not intended for persons residing in the E.U. By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive news updates and promotional material from Mediacorp and Mediacorp’s partners.
Loading
"We believe new tools should expand creative freedom, not constrain it or replace the work of writers, directors, actors, and crews," Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said.
The acquisition is the streaming giant's first since backing out of a high-stakes race to acquire Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming assets after Paramount Skydance's rival bid was deemed as superior.
Affleck, director and star of Oscar-winning film "Argo", founded InterPositive in 2022 by creating an AI model trained to understand visual logic and editorial consistency, while maintaining cinematic rules under real-world production challenges such as missing shots or incorrect lighting.
"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," Affleck said.
Affleck will be joining Netflix as a senior advisor.
Newsletter
Week in Review
Subscribe to our Chief Editor’s Week in Review
Our chief editor shares analysis and picks of the week's biggest news every Saturday.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app