Netflix has implemented visual effects generated by artificial intelligence (AI) for the first time in its original series, The Eternauts. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos highlighted that AI helped create a building collapse scene in the show, according to BBC.
This technology enabled production teams to produce sequences more quickly and at lower costs. Concerns persist in the entertainment industry regarding AI’s potential to generate content without proper consent from original creators and its potential to replace human jobs.
Mr. Sarandos conveyed his thoughts during Netflix’s announcement of a 16% revenue increase to $11 billion (£8.25 billion) for the quarter ending in June, with profits rising from $2.1 billion to $3.1 billion. This growth was attributed to the success of the third season of Squid Game, which garnered 122 million views.
Regarding AI’s role, Sarandos indicated that it allows lower-budget productions to utilize advanced visual effects, stating that the technology facilitated the completion of the Buenos Aires building collapse sequence ten times faster than traditional methods.
“The cost of it would 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,” Mr. Sarandos remarked.
AI was a significant concern during the Hollywood strike in 2023, where the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists union advocated for stricter regulations regarding AI usage.
