Ben Affleck, celebrated actor and producer, has sparked widespread conversation with his take on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on the entertainment industry. Speaking at CNBC’s Delivering Alpha 2024 investor summit, Affleck offered a thoughtful analysis of why Hollywood’s creative processes remain uniquely human.
Hollywood’s Human Touch: Why AI Falls Short
“Movies will be one of the last things, if everything gets replaced, to be replaced by AI,” Affleck stated, emphasizing the irreplaceable nature of human creativity in filmmaking. While AI may excel at mimicking styles or generating content, Affleck argued it lacks the ability to replicate the artistic nuance required for storytelling.
“AI can write you excellent imitative verse that sounds Elizabethan, it cannot write you Shakespeare,” Affleck explained.
Highlighting the collaborative essence of filmmaking, Affleck added, “The function of having two actors, or three or four actors in a room and the taste to discern and construct, that is something that currently entirely eludes AI’s capability and I think will for a meaningful period of time.”
Revolutionizing Filmmaking Costs, Not Creativity
Affleck predicts that AI will revolutionize certain labor-intensive aspects of movie production, making filmmaking more accessible. “What AI is going to do is going to disintermediate the laborious, less creative and more costly aspects of filmmaking that will allow costs to be brought down, that will lower the barrier for entry, that will allow more voices to be heard, that will make it easier for the people that want to make ‘Good Will Huntings’ to go out and make it.”
As co-founder of Artists Equity alongside Matt Damon, Affleck has firsthand experience in the intricacies of movie production. While he sees AI as a powerful tool, he remains firm that its role is limited to craftsmanship.
The Challenge of Taste: Where AI Hits a Wall
For Affleck, the crux of creativity lies in taste and judgment—areas where AI falls short. “Craftsman is knowing how to work, art is knowing when to stop,” he remarked. “And I think knowing when to stop is going to be a very difficult thing for AI to learn because it’s taste.”
While he acknowledged the potential for disruption in sectors like visual effects, he reassured audiences that AI would not supplant filmmakers themselves. “I wouldn’t like to be in the visual effects business – they’re in trouble, because what costs a lot of money is now going to cost a lot less. And it’s going to hammer that space, and it already is… but it’s not going to replace human beings making films.”
The Future of AI in Entertainment
Looking ahead, Affleck envisions AI enabling studios to streamline technical aspects of production while delivering more content to viewers. He also speculated on the potential for new revenue models. AI, he suggested, could pave the way for personalized content creation, citing a hypothetical scenario where consumers might pay $30 to generate their own episode of a favorite show like Succession.
A clip of Affleck’s remarks shared on X (formerly Twitter) quickly went viral, drawing praise and debate. “Didn’t expect Ben Affleck to have the most articulate and realistic explanation where video models and Hollywood is going,” one user commented. Another wrote, “He absolutely nailed this. I love how he talked about it, and it applies across industries, too.”
However, not everyone agreed. Critics argued that Affleck might be underestimating AI’s long-term capabilities. “He’s right in the short term about VFX, color, sound design and other production costs coming down, but he’s DEAD WRONG in the long term,” one user wrote. Another added, “I think he is underestimating the rate of AI improvement.”
Despite differing opinions, Affleck’s comments have undeniably struck a chord, sparking widespread reflection on the future of creativity in an AI-driven world.
