Ben Affleck has sold his artificial intelligence start-up InterPositive to Netflix.
Ben Affleck has sold his artificial intelligence start-up InterPositive to Netflix
In a rare acquisition by the streaming company, the deal was completed after the actor, 53, founded the Los Angeles-based company in 2022 to develop AI-powered tools designed to assist filmmakers in the production and post-production process.
Netflix confirmed the purchase of InterPositive, although the terms of the buy-up have not been disclosed.
The company said the entire 16-person InterPositive team of engineers, researchers and creatives will join Netflix as part of the acquisition.
Ben will also serve as a senior adviser to Netflix, providing ongoing guidance on the development of the technology. Netflix said it intends to provide access to InterPositive’s tools to its creative partners rather than sell the technology commercially.
Speaking in a video shared by Netflix alongside the acquisition announcement, Ben said the technology is designed to support filmmakers rather than generate content automatically.
He added: “It’s not about text-prompting or generating something from nothing.
“AI, people mostly think of it as making something from nothing: ‘I’m gonna type something into a computer and it’s gonna give me a movie’. That’s not what this is.”
Ben explained InterPositive’s system works by building an AI model using footage from an existing production.
The model can then be introduced into post-production to assist with processes including colour mixing, relighting shots and adding visual effects.
According to Netflix, the tools were designed to place filmmakers at the centre of the creative process rather than replace them.
Netflix’s chief content officer Bela Bajaria said the technology would give filmmakers greater control over how their projects are completed.
She said in a statement: “Our relationship with artists has always been grounded in trust: supporting the full range of their creativity and ensuring they have the power to decide how their films and shows are made.”
Bela added: “We believe new tools should expand creative freedom, not constrain it or replace the work of writers, directors, actors and crews.
“Ben and his team at InterPositive are part of a long tradition in our industry of artists leading the way in how innovation is used in storytelling.
“Their work is about giving filmmakers more choices, more control and more protection for their vision. We’re excited to build on that legacy together, with creators and their artistic intentions at the centre of everything we do.”