Grounded take on AI & filmmaking from a Hollywood A-lister

Ben Affleck offers a grounded take on AI's impact on filmmaking, highlighting four significant areas of transformation. He argues that AI will lower production costs and shatter barriers to entry, allowing more voices to participate in filmmaking and paradoxically raising the creative bar due to increased competition. However, the VFX industry is poised to suffer, as AI accelerates its already declining trajectory, making it an unsustainable business in the long term despite short-term opportunities. On content creation, Affleck predicts AI will first excel in generating personalized episodes of existing series, like Game of Thrones, before achieving the ability to create entirely new, coherent, and compelling stories. Additionally, generative AI is already replacing traditional AR filters, as seen with tools like FLUX AI avatars and Pika Effects, enabling IP holders to craft interactive, branded content where audiences can engage, such as "becoming" their favorite characters. While some dismiss these views as wishful thinking, they reflect a realistic understanding of AI’s current capabilities and trajectory.