Affleck Calls AI Hollywood Takeover Claims 'Complete Bullshit'
The Oscar winner sparked debate after dismissing widespread fears about AI replacing human creativity in entertainment during a candid podcast appearance that's now going viral.
Ben Affleck has fired back at widespread panic over artificial intelligence potentially destroying Hollywood careers, bluntly calling such fears "complete bullshit." The actor made his provocative comments during a recent Joe Rogan Experience podcast episode that quickly went viral across social media platforms.
Affleck argued that current AI technology simply lacks the sophistication to threaten creative professionals. "What I see is that if, for example, you try to get Chat GPT or Claude or Gemini to write you something, it's really shitty," he explained. "And it's shitty because, by its nature, it goes to the mean, to the average, and it's not reliable."
AI Actors and Industry Fears
The Batman director specifically targeted claims that AI could eventually produce entire films independently. "I actually don't think it's going to be able to write anything meaningful, and in particular, that it's going to be making movies from whole cloth, like Tilly Norwood – that's bullshit," Affleck stated.
Norwood represents a controversial milestone as the first fully AI-generated performer signed to a talent agency. The announcement last September at the Zurich Film Festival by Particle 6 Productions founder Eline Van der Velden triggered massive backlash from entertainment professionals worried about job security.
Technology Limitations Becoming Clear
Affleck defended his contrarian position by pointing to AI's apparent technological plateau. "The technology is not progressing in the way they presented it," he argued, predicting AI would become merely another filmmaking tool rather than an industry-ending force.
He attributed much AI hysteria to corporate marketing strategies. Companies promote exaggerated capabilities to boost their market valuations, Affleck suggested. "Chat GPT 5 is only about 25 per cent better than Chat GPT 4, and costs about four times as much in the way of electricity and data," he noted.
Human Creativity Remains Essential
The actor believes AI's impact is "leveling off" as technical limitations become apparent. Most users employ these tools for mundane tasks, not sophisticated creative work, he observed.
"Hollywood is always going to fundamentally rely on the human, artistic aspects," Affleck concluded, emphasizing that authentic storytelling requires human experience and emotion.
His stance contrasts sharply with other stars like Matthew McConaughey, who recently trademarked his famous "Alright, alright, alright" catchphrase against AI deepfakes. Ironically, McConaughey has invested in ElevenLabs, a company that clones voices of both living and deceased performers for its Iconic Voice Marketplace.