ENTERTAINMENTBen Affleck Says He Used AI for 'Lots of Things' in His New Movie 'Animals' as He Explains His Ethical Approach
Ben Affleck utilized artificial intelligence for multiple production tasks on his thriller 'Animals,' but insisted the technology will never replace human filmmakers.
Oct. 5 2026, Published 12:07 p.m. ET
Ben Affleck revealed he used artificial intelligence for various tasks while making his new Netflix thriller Animals, but he said the technology was never intended to replace the people making the movie.
"I used [AI] for lots of things in that movie," the actor and director said in an interview during Bloomberg's Screentime event.
He Wasn't Ready to Reveal Every Use
Ben Affleck declined to say exactly what AI methods he's using.
The filmmaker was reluctant to specify how he applied artificial intelligence in the project.
"I'm a little bit hesitant to point out what they are — or even talk about it — because in my business, we're trying to foster the illusion of reality, right?" he explained.
The Oscar winner compared revealing those techniques to a magician explaining how a trick works before performing it.
Animals stars Affleck as a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped, with Kerry Washington playing his wife. Affleck directed the thriller. He also co-wrote it, collaborating with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray.
He Wants AI to Support Filmmakers
Ben Affleck restricted his AI usage to a proprietary dataset, rejecting systems that train on copyrighted material or replace workers.
The Good Will Hunting star emphasized that his approach is built around using AI to enhance the creative process rather than to substitute human workers.
"It's not about making fake people or replacing anybody, ever," he maintained. "It's about another interesting post tool."
The actor continued, "I wouldn't use something that trains on or has learned from any work that is copyrighted, or that is an intelligence created by a peer of mine or somebody that I look up to." .
Instead, he noted that his team created a proprietary dataset so the technology would not have to be "extractive."
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Affleck Doesn't Expect AI to Make Movies Alone
Ben Affleck rejected the notion that AI will eventually generate consumer-ready movies from simple text prompts.
The two-time Academy Award winner pushed back on the idea that filmmakers will eventually be able to generate a complete cinematic project with a single command.
"I don't believe there will ever be just type it in and make a movie that people want to see," the director declared.
He Previously Built an AI Company
Ben Affleck's AI startup InterPositive, which he sold to Netflix, aims to assist with post-production while protecting human creativity.
The Argo filmmaker's interest in the technology extends beyond Animals. He founded AI company InterPositive, which developed tools designed to assist filmmakers with post-production.
Netflix acquired the company in March, with plans for its technology to support post-production work on the streamer's projects.
"For artists to apply these tools towards telling the stories we dedicate our lives to, they need to be purpose-built to represent and protect all the qualities that make a great story," the 54-year-old remarked when the acquisition was announced.
He added that he felt he had "a responsibility to my peers and our industry, to protect the power of human creativity and the people behind it."
