Actor Ben Affleck revealed he knows Python and has inside access to OpenAI models. He has been interested in computers since he was young. Affleck said, “I’ve always been kind of into computers since I was young.” He now uses his celebrity status to explore how AI helps modern filmmaking.
Ben Affleck is known around the world as an actor, filmmaker and the man who played Batman. But Affleck has revealed that his interest in technology goes far beyond using computers for work. He knows Python, has worked with GPUs and understands how machine learning is used in visual effects.
Speaking about AI and Hollywood in an interview with One More Question and GQ, Affleck said he has been interested in computers since he was young. His interest grew as filmmaking moved from traditional film to digital production, bringing increasingly sophisticated visual-effects technology into movies.
"I’ve always been kind of into computers since I was young," Affleck said.
Affleck explained that visual-effects work has used machine learning for years, and said he can write what he jokingly called “pretty shitty Python scripts." He also demonstrated a surprisingly detailed understanding of older machine-learning techniques, including convolutional neural networks, tensors and feature extraction.
Affleck explained how these systems can analyse the numerical information that makes up an image and identify patterns such as the edge of an object. In filmmaking, he said, that can help with tasks such as separating a subject from a green-screen background.
His technical experience also gave him a way into conversations with some of the biggest AI companies. Before founding Artists Equity, Affleck had a small visual-effects company and said he had worked extensively with GPUs.
He used his celebrity status to see Google and OpenAI's AI work
When visual-effects professionals told him that Google and OpenAI were working on interesting video models using transformers, Affleck decided to see the technology for himself.
“I can actually just call up and go, ‘Hey, it’s Ben Affleck. Can I come to see what you’re doing?’ And sometimes people say yes — to my astonishment,” he said.
Affleck said he was initially shocked by how quickly AI could generate realistic-looking video. He recalled calling Matt Damon and telling him, “Dude, we’re fucked,” after seeing what the technology could do with only a few keystrokes.
But rather than concluding that AI would immediately replace filmmaking, Affleck started examining how these systems worked. He spoke with engineering teams and looked at the data used to train video models, eventually becoming convinced that AI companies needed a deeper understanding of filmmaking itself.
That led him to start another company focused on building data and technology specifically for filmmakers. He said the company worked with engineers, inference specialists, data architects and visual-effects professionals to develop technology that artists could control.
Affleck's technical interest is particularly striking given his Hollywood career. He played Batman in major DC films including Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, productions that relied heavily on digital effects, CGI and complex visual-effects work. While Affleck was not claiming that he personally created the technology used in those Batman films, his comments show that he had developed an interest in the technical side of filmmaking alongside his acting career. His understanding of visual effects, GPUs and machine learning also helps explain why he was able to engage directly with engineers and AI researchers when generative video technology began developing rapidly.
Affleck has also been outspoken about the risks of using AI in creative industries. He said filmmakers have a reason to be worried when they are told the technology could replace their livelihoods, but argued for a more measured approach to its development.