Netflix says it has used visual effects created by generative artificial intelligence (AI) in one of its original TV shows for the first time.
The streaming giant’s co-chief executive, Ted Sarandos, said AI — which generates videos and images based on text prompts — was used to create a scene of a building collapsing in the Argentine science fiction series The Eternauts.
He said the technology allowed the production team to complete sequences faster and at a lower cost.
The use of generative AI remains controversial in the entertainment industry due to concerns that it creates content using others’ work without consent, and fears that it could replace human jobs.
Mr. Sarandos made his comments as Netflix announced a 16% rise in revenue to $11 billion (£8.25 billion) for the three months ending in June, compared to the same period last year. Profits rose from $2.1 billion to $3.1 billion.
The company said its stronger-than-expected performance was driven by the success of the third and final season of the South Korean thriller Squid Game, which has attracted 122 million views so far.
When asked about Netflix’s use of AI, Mr. Sarandos said the technology has enabled lower-budget productions to incorporate high-end visual effects.
He explained that the generative AI used in The Eternauts helped the production team complete a sequence depicting the collapse of a building in Buenos Aires ten times faster than traditional special effects tools would have allowed.
“The cost of it just wouldn’t have been feasible for a show with that budget,” Sarandos said.
“That sequence is actually the very first piece of generative AI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film. So the creators were thrilled with the result.”
AI was one of the major issues raised during the 2023 Hollywood strike.
During the three-month walkout, the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) called for stricter regulations around the use of AI in entertainment.
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