AI-generated shows could replace lost DVD revenue, Ben Affleck says

Last week, actor and director Ben Affleck shared his views on AI's role in filmmaking during the 2024 CNBC Delivering Alpha investor summit, arguing that AI models will transform visual effects but won't replace creative filmmaking anytime soon. A video clip of Affleck's opinion began circulating widely on social media not long after.

"Didn’t expect Ben Affleck to have the most articulate and realistic explanation where video models and Hollywood is going," wrote one X user.

In the clip, Affleck spoke of current AI models' abilities as imitators and conceptual translators—mimics that are typically better at translating one style into another instead of originating deeply creative material.

"AI can write excellent imitative verse, but it cannot write Shakespeare," Affleck told CNBC's David Faber. "The function of having two, three, or four actors in a room and the taste to discern and construct that entirely eludes AI's capability."

Affleck sees AI models as "craftsmen" rather than artists (although some might find the term "craftsman" in his analogy somewhat imprecise). He explained that while AI can learn through imitation—like a craftsman studying furniture-making techniques—it lacks the creative judgment that defines artistry. "Craftsman is knowing how to work. Art is knowing when to stop," he said.

"It's not going to replace human beings making films," Affleck stated. Instead, he sees AI taking over "the more laborious, less creative and more costly aspects of filmmaking," which could lower barriers to entry and make it easier for emerging filmmakers to create movies like Good Will Hunting.

Films will become dramatically cheaper to make

While it may seem on its surface like Affleck was attacking generative AI capabilities in the tech industry, he also did not deny the impact it may have on filmmaking. For example, he predicted that AI would reduce costs and speed up production schedules, potentially allowing shows like HBO's House of the Dragon to release two seasons in the same period as it takes to make one.

AI-generated content: A new revenue stream?

Affleck thinks that AI technology could create a new source of revenue for studios, potentially replacing lost DVD sales that he says once provided a large chunk of industry revenue but dropped dramatically over the past decade due to the rise of streaming video services.

For example, although he had previously mentioned that AI would not replace human taste in filmmaking, Affleck described a scenario where a future viewer might pay to generate custom episodes of their favorite shows, though he acknowledged such content may be "janky and a little bit weird."

He also imagined a scenario where companies may sell licenses to fans to create custom AI-generate content or AI-generated TikTok videos with character likenesses, similar to how studios sell superhero costumes today.

Even so, Affleck maintains that human creativity will remain central to filmmaking. He explained that AI models currently work by "cross-pollinating things that exist" without truly creating anything new. At least not yet. This limitation, combined with AI's lack of artistic judgment, means that he thinks traditional filmmaking crafted by human directors and actors will persist.