Netflix cuts cost by using Gen AI for the first time on one of its shows

Netflix has admitted to have used visual effects powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) in one of its original TV shows for the first time. This signals the company’s growing adoption of AI in content creation. During a call with investors last week, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that the Argentine series - The Eternaut features “the very first GenAI final footage in a Netflix original series or film to create a scene of a building collapsing.”

The executive reportedly claimed that using AI for one of the scenes turned out to be faster than getting it done using traditional VFX. While the co-CEO said to have refrained from naming any AI models, he detailed the scene where AI-generated videos were used.

The co-CEO of Netflix also highlighted that the company is now convinced of the capabilities of AI, and plans to use it again in the future to help creators “make films and series not just cheaper but better.”

This highlights that video generation AI models are now reaching the maturity where the technology can be used for large-scale movie and show production.

The Eternaut is the company's latest post-apocalyptic sci-fi mystery thriller, and its first season (comprising eight episodes) was released on the platform on April 30. In the series, a scene shows a building in Argentina's Buenos Aires collapsing as a train slams into it. Instead of shooting it traditionally and adding the effects via VFX, Netflix sought AI's help and the entire scene was generated synthetically.