Netflix (NFLX) announced on Thursday that it has acquired InterPositive, a film and television technology company founded by Oscar winner Ben Affleck, which specializes in developing artificial intelligence tools for movie production. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The media industry is increasingly embracing the use of AI for content creation and storytelling, marking a significant shift from Hollywood's previous concerns about the technology's impact on creative jobs and intellectual property. In the latter half of last year, Disney announced it would allow OpenAI to use characters from Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel series in its Sora AI video generator.

Netflix's Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria, stated, "We believe new tools should expand creative freedom, not restrict it or replace the work of writers, directors, actors, and production teams."

This acquisition is the streaming giant's first since withdrawing from the high-profile bidding to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming assets—a contest in which Paramount and Skydance Media were considered to have stronger positions.

Affleck, the director and star of the Oscar-winning film Argo, founded InterPositive in 2022. The company's AI models are trained to understand visual logic and editing continuity, adhering to filmmaking principles even when faced with real-world production challenges such as missing shots or lighting errors.

Affleck commented, "We've also built-in constraints to protect creative intent, so these tools are designed to responsibly explore ideas while keeping artistic decisions firmly in the hands of the artists." Affleck will join Netflix in a senior advisory role.