Ben Affleck, the actor who sold his AI filmmaking startup to Netflix for a reported $587 million, has gone viral for his detailed knowledge of AI technology and its applications in film. He demonstrated his understanding of AI, neural networks, machine learning, and Python coding across multiple video clips of his recent interviews.
Affleck explained how he got into AI when analog film moved to digital, and how machine learning is used in visual effects workflows. He described how convolutional neural networks were precursors to transformers, which handle more computation simultaneously. He also discussed how AI can help with filmmaking without replacing it.
In a separate clip, Affleck spoke about how he fine-tuned AI models by taking open source models, unfreezing the weights, then teaching them to meet certain cinematic standards. This process allows filmmakers to retain their proprietary work while benefiting from the learning they create by training their own unique model for the movie they're making.
"I became more interested in that aspect of it, and the visual effects workflow for many years has included machine learning," said Affleck. He also admitted he used his status as a Hollywood star to get a peek at emerging AI technology, including a visit to OpenAI.
Affleck’s concerns about AI were more rational, focusing on issues like the 30% rise in the number of A’s given out at colleges and learned helplessness. He did not worry about Skynet taking over the movie business, stating that AI would be additive rather than disruptive.
Affleck did not say how much he actually earned from the sale, noting that he didn’t own the whole company. He also raised questions about the responsible use of AI and what happens next in its development.
Source: techcrunch
