An actor is a person who performs roles in various forms of storytelling, such as film, television, theater, or other media. They portray characters by delivering dialogue, expressing emotions, and using physical movements to bring stories to life.
And a Hollywood actor goes beyond that, because it refers to someone who works in the U.S. film and entertainment industry, often associated with being at the center of the iconic hub of the global movie industry. Many aspire to Hollywood because it offers some of the largest productions, international recognition, and opportunities for fame and financial success.
Here, high-profile Hollywood actors often star in blockbuster films that earn billions of dollars.
And among those high-profile stars, include Ben Affleck.
The Armageddon star has shared his support for AI and its incorporation into filmmaking, saying that the technology will empower creators instead of negatively impacting them.
Speaking with CNBC at the Delivering Alpha 2024 investor summit, Ben Affleck was asked whether or not it would be possible for Netflix to make a movie out of "a bunch of actors that are completely recreated."
The Pearl Harbor star, who is also the CEO of Artist Equity, co-founded the production company alongside fellow Hollywood star Matt Damon, saw no immediate threat from AI in the world of creativity unless those who work in visual effects.
"I wouldn't like to be in the visual effects business. They're in trouble," he warned, predicting that expensive Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) will become much cheaper through AI automation.
In particular, the Hollywood actor addressed the growing fears about AI technology replacing actors and writers, by saying that AI would not be able to replace human beings making films.
Affeck responded with lengthy speech, explaining that it is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Affleck who starred in The Sum of All Fears and Air, said that:
"AI can write you excellent imitative verse that sounds Elizabethan, it cannot write you Shakespeare."
"The function of having two actors or three or four actors in a room, and the taste to discern and construct something [...] That currently entirely alludes AI’s capability, and I think it will for a meaningful period of time."
"What AI is going to do is disintermediate the more laborious, less creative, and more costly aspects of filmmaking that will allow cost to be brought down. That will lower the barrier to entry, that will allow more voices to be heard. That will make it easier for the people who want to make Good Will Huntings to go out and make it."
In his view, AI is "a craftsman at best," and is simply "cross pollinating things that exist." As a result, "nothing new is created."
He added that:
His arguments are based on AI video generators, where anyone can easily apply AI-generated effects to existing video.
At first, results are indeed astonishing and can be extremely realistic. This makes AI replacing human talents plausible. However, AI video generators are still a long, long way to go, before they can create desired results with unmistaken consistency. AI video generators, despite having some sorts of customization, still cannot give users the ultimate control of generating what they want.
Instead, these tools force users to repeat generations, again and again, and continuously while hoping for a usable result.
Ben Affleck, known for portraying the superhero Batman in the DC Extended Universe, is far from being a tech guy. But his statement represents that he has his ears close to the ground, especially when they're things that can affect the industry he is in.
As a result of this, his thoughts have went viral, as fans are highly impressed by him.