The use of AI in Hollywood has turned into a lightning rod, especially as ongoing contract negotiations between major studios and the Writers Guild of America drag on. Earlier this week, the union released a list of contract demands, including expanded protections over the use and abuse of AI.
On-screen performers and voice actors have also spent many months at the bargaining table with studios over concerns that their likeness and voices could be used without their consent.
But the persistent controversy surrounding the use of AI in Hollywood hasn’t dissuaded executives from striking deals with AI companies. As Bloomberg reports, Netflix is now offering up to $600 million to buy InterPositive, an AI moviemaking company founded by actor Ben Affleck.
Basically, the company offers AI software that modifies existing footage, a capability that clearly has Netflix intrigued as a low-cost alternative to special effects. According to Bloomberg, noted film director David Fincher has already used the tools for an upcoming project starring Brad Pitt — almost certainly “The Adventures of Cliff Booth,” which Netflix has signed on to distribute.
At $600 million — or “as much as $600 million,” in Bloomberg‘s curious framing — the deal is one of the biggest acquisitions of its kind as major production companies, including Netflix and Amazon, continue to bring on AI talent to cut costs.
Walt Disney, for instance, signed a “landmark agreement” with OpenAI to integrate generative AI into its business last year, including a $1 billion equity investment in the Sam Altman-led company.
Netflix’s latest deal with Affleck’s AI startup is unlikely to assuage ongoing fears that Hollywood will leverage AI to undermine the work of human actors.
Nonetheless, Affleck has attempted to paint his foray into AI as a way to enhance storytelling.
“I knew I had a responsibility to my peers and our industry, to protect the power of human creativity and the people behind it,” he said in a statement. “In creating InterPositive, I sought to do just that.”
While his company’s tools sound closer to the kind of editing software used to create special effects than the kind of insipid slop being generated by text-to-video AI models, Affleck will likely have a tightrope to walk given the ongoing conversation surrounding the use of AI in Hollywood.
The latest news also suggests that Netflix has some serious cash to burn — especially now that its bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery fell through. Considering the unabated excitement surrounding AI, it’s not a surprise to see the company dig deep into its pockets.
Netizens were cautiously optimistic that its deal with Affleck’s startup wasn’t yet another reason to believe Hollywood is melting down in a heap of AI slop.
“This is one of those cases where the AI tool is actually really useful for filmmakers and not taking jobs,” one Reddit user wrote in response to the latest news.
“I hate everything AI is doing to the world, but can admit there are many good use cases,” they added. “This is one of them.”
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