Ben Affleck is formerly again amazing group alongside his AI chops.
The movie celebrity conveyed an notable understanding of generative AI systems in an discussion alongside GQ's "One More Question" sequence published Tuesday, in which Affleck stated he could compose approximately in Python, a famous programming language, and discussed the workings of convolutional neural networks.
"I've continually been benevolent of into computers since I was young. Then, whenever movie started to move from analog movie to digital, I became additional curious in that aspect of it," Affleck said, adding the "visual-effects workflow for many years has included device learning."
He afterward spent multiple minutes explaining concepts rearward contemporary AI systems, using words and phrases that are apt unfamiliar to those who don't cognize AI terminology: transformers, tensors, and border detection.
"I value the way you're talking to me akin I comprehend any of it," interviewer Zach Baron joked in response. "I'm really flattered and honored by that, so appreciate you."
The clip of Affleck talking concerning AI went viral, sparking surprise, delight, and jokes.
"Turns out he was the genuine Good Will Hunting all along," one X person wrote, referring to the 1997 movie Affleck wrote alongside Matt Damon, who plays the brilliant Will Hunting in the movie.
"TLDR. Ben Afflick admits the movie 'The Accountant' was really semi-autobiographical," another person said, referencing the 2016 movie anywhere Affleck plays a math savant.
For those paying attention, Affleck's proficiency alongside AI shouldn't arrive as much of a surprise. The performer has sparked "Ben Affleck knows AI?!" reactions multiple times complete the former few years. He additionally sold InterPositive, the AI film-tech startup he quietly founded in 2022, to Netflix before this twelvemonth for a reported $587 million, although Affleck stated in the GQ discussion that fig was "not right."
Ben Affleck's AI cognition has made headlines before
Affleck archetypal drew notice for his AI prowess in November 2024 at a CNBC capitalist summit, anywhere he explained AI's limitations in filmmaking.
"AI is a a craftsman at best. Craftsmen can study to, you know, create Stickley furnishings by sitting downward next to person and seeing what their method is and imitating them. That's how ample video models, ample tongue models, basically work: a archive of vectors of definition and transformers that construe in context," Affleck said. "But they're fair cross-pollinating things that exist. Nothing new is created."
"Craftsman is knowing how to work, art is knowing whenever to stop. And I think knowing whenever to halt is going to be a extremely difficult item for AI to study since it's taste," he said.
A clip of Affleck's remarks went viral on X, racking up complete 20 myriad views.
The performer again went viral in January this twelvemonth for comments he made concerning AI on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast. Affleck stated much of the fear and existential dread connected to AI comes from "people who are trying to validate valuations about companies."
"Where they go, 'We're going to alter everything. In two years, there's going to be no additional work.' Well, the logic they're saying that is since they need to ascribe a evaluation for funding that can justify the capex expend they're going to create on these data centers," he said.
In supplement to going viral, a clip of the discussion was praised on X by Michael Burry, the "Big Short" capitalist and AI surge skeptic who had voiced akin doubts concerning several of the AI hype.
"Ben Affleck is plainly a astute guy. So this does not astonishment me. It appears acquainted and on point," Burry stated at the time.
While fans may continually be amazed by Affleck's AI knowledge, the performer may be used to group underestimating him. He told GQ that following he lately won "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," the underlying spirit in the texts he got was "slight bafflement."
"Like, 'How the fuck does this guy do that?'"
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Kelsey Vlamis is a elder newsman for Business Insider, anywhere she covers endeavor and tech news. She additionally writes endeavor stories concerning travel, luxury, and culture. Previously, she covered the environment, outdoors, and indigenous issues.Her characteristic narrative "Disaster at 18,200 feet" received awards from the New York Press Club and the North American Travel Journalists Association, as fine as honest citation from the Society of American Travel Writers. She has additionally received an American Journalism Online Award for her safety on missing and murdered Indigenous group in Wyoming.She's appeared on CBS, NPR, NBC, and another outlets to conversation her reporting. She earlier worked on the earth news array at the BBC in London and received a master's in reporting from Northwestern University.She can be reached by email at [email protected] or via the encrypted-messaging app Signal at kelseyv.21.
