Ben Affleck says he used artificial intelligence on his new Netflix thriller Animals, but he is not saying exactly where. The film, which he directed, co-wrote, and stars in, arrives on Netflix and in select theaters on Friday, October 9.
Speaking at Bloomberg's Screentime event, Affleck said, "I used [AI] for lots of things in that movie." He called the film a good example of using AI ethically because it is "a very human movie," and he did not say which scenes or tasks involved the technology. He also said he doesn't believe AI will ever let a filmmaker type in a prompt and make a movie people want to see.
At the film's premiere, Affleck told The Hollywood Reporter his approach is simple. He said he wouldn't use a tool trained on copyrighted work, or one built by a peer he looks up to. He added that it is "not about making fake people or replacing anybody, ever."
Netflix bought Affleck's AI company, InterPositive, in March for $587 million. He founded it in 2022, served as CEO, and now serves as a senior advisor.
Animals is a kidnapping thriller starring Affleck, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Steven Yeun, Adriana Paz, and Luis Gerardo Méndez. Matt Damon is among its producers.
As AI tools spread through entertainment, many viewers, including people of faith, are asking how technology can serve human creativity without replacing it.
Affleck's comments put that question in front of a large audience, and viewers can judge for themselves when the film streams Friday.
