Netflix Paid $587 Million for Ben Affleck’s AI Startup InterPositive

Netflix has confirmed an acquisition that signals a significant shift in its production technology. The streaming giant paid $587 million in cash to acquire InterPositive, a startup founded by Ben Affleck in 2022. This move brings a 16-person team of engineers and researchers into the Netflix fold, while Affleck joins the company as a senior adviser.

The startup focuses on developing tools that allow filmmakers to build AI models based on production footage. These models assist in tasks like audio mixing, shot relighting, and visual effects work. The goal stated by the developers is to keep human filmmakers at the center of the creative process rather than replacing them with automated output.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos mentioned the acquisition during a recent earnings call. He noted that the company has utilized some form of generative AI across roughly 300 titles this year. While the integration of these new tools is in the early stages, management maintains that they serve to provide artists with more efficient ways to execute their vision.

Despite the scale of the investment, the company emphasizes that AI serves as a tool for creators. Sarandos stated that movies remain the work of human storytellers who now have faster, more cost-effective options for production. The deal reflects a broader strategy among studios to internalize the development of specialized technical solutions for content creation.