Ben Affleck and AI: A Deep Dive into the Future of Filmmaking
Christer Berggren
Visionary Project Manager | Event and Culture Creator | Inspiring Lecturer | Adventure-Seeking Expat | AI Pioneer in Prompt Design | Innovator, Content Creator, and Bridge Builder Between Vision and Practicality
When it comes to technological advancements and their impact on creative industries, artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most debated topics of our time. In the film industry, where creativity and technology often intersect, AI is seen as both a potential helper and a disruptive force. Ben Affleck, a veteran in the industry and a visionary storyteller, has recently shared his thoughts on how AI will influence filmmaking. His insights are both realistic and hopeful, offering a nuanced view of how this technology could shape the future of cinema.
Affleck’s Perspective: AI as a Tool, Not a Competitor
Speaking at CNBC's Delivering Alpha conference, Ben Affleck expressed his belief that AI, in its current form, cannot replace human creativity. According to him, AI lacks the qualities that make art and storytelling authentic and compelling—namely taste, judgment, and intuition. "AI can write excellent imitative verses that sound Elizabethan," he said, "but it can’t write Shakespeare." For Affleck, this is the crux of the argument: AI can create imitations but lacks the ability to produce genuine art.
He compared AI's current capabilities to a skilled but emotionless technician. AI can analyze and reproduce patterns, generate scripts, and even create visual effects. But what it cannot do is take risks, break rules, or create something that is genuinely innovative and emotionally powerful.
The Potential of AI in Filmmaking
Affleck doesn’t see AI as an enemy. Instead, he believes the technology could become a valuable tool for streamlining the labor-intensive and less creative aspects of filmmaking. For example, AI could be used to automate time-consuming tasks such as creating special effects, managing large volumes of data during the editing process, and even developing prototypes of scenes. By reducing production costs and making filmmaking more accessible, AI could open doors for new voices and projects that might not have had a chance otherwise.
A concrete example is AI’s use in pre-visualization, where directors can get an early look at how a scene will appear before it’s filmed. This saves time and resources by reducing the need for retakes and costly adjustments during post-production.