Netflix has used generative AI in a TV show for the first time, in order to cut costs.
AI was used to create a shot of a building collapsing in Buenos Aires in the new sci-fi show The Eternaut. A Netflix executive told analysts they used AI because it was cheaper and quicker than using other special effects.
A co-chief executive of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, told financial analysts on Thursday: “Using AI-powered tools, they were able to achieve an amazing result with remarkable speed and, in fact, that VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with traditional VFX tools and workflows.
“The cost of [creating the scene without AI] just wouldn’t have been feasible for a show in that budget.
“That sequence actually is the very first [generative] AI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film. So the creators were thrilled with the result.”
Lots of people in the film and TV industry are concerned that if studios start using generative AI, there will be fewer jobs for them.
“We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,” Ted Sarandos continued. “So this is real people doing real work with better tools. Our creators are already seeing the benefits in production through visualisation and shot planning work, and certainly visual effects.”
Ted Sarandos also announced that Netflix made a $3.1 billion profit from April, May and June in 2025. That’s a huge increase from $2.1 billion in the same time period last year.
The Eternaut (or El Eternauta) follows a group in Buenos Aires dealing with toxic snow and invading aliens. The show came out on 30th April.
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Featured images via Netflix.
