🎬 Netflix Uses Generative AI for the First Time in Original Show to Cut Costs
💡 AI Takes the Spotlight in Netflix's Sci-Fi Series "The Eternauts"
In a major shift for the entertainment industry, streaming giant Netflix has confirmed that it used generative artificial intelligence (AI) to produce visual effects in one of its original TV shows — marking a first for the platform.
The AI-powered scene, featuring a dramatic building collapse in Buenos Aires, was included in the Argentine science-fiction thriller The Eternauts. According to Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO, the use of AI allowed the sequence to be completed 10 times faster and at a significantly lower cost than traditional VFX methods.
🎥 Why This Matters
Generative AI, which creates images and videos from simple prompts, has been at the center of both innovation and controversy in Hollywood. While it offers speed and budget efficiency, many professionals express concern over:
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Job displacement for artists, animators, and visual effects teams
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Ethical issues around the use of copyrighted or human-created references
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Loss of artistic quality and originality
🧠 The Scene That Changed the Game
“That sequence is the very first generative AI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film,”
— Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO, Netflix
The particular sequence involving the AI-generated building collapse would have been too expensive for the show's budget using traditional methods, Sarandos noted. Thanks to AI, the impossible became achievable — opening doors for smaller productions to create cinema-level visuals without breaking the bank.
📈 Netflix Sees Big Gains
Netflix announced a 16% increase in revenue, reaching $11 billion for the quarter ending June 2025. Profits rose from $2.1 billion to $3.1 billion, fueled in part by the successful launch of Squid Game: Season 3, which drew 122 million views globally.
🎭 Hollywood Still Divided on AI
The use of AI in films and series remains a hot-button topic. The 2023 Hollywood strikes, led by the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), highlighted the growing tension around AI in creative industries.
Even industry heavyweight Tyler Perry canceled an $800 million studio expansion due to fears about AI's impact on human jobs.
🎨 Artists React
Davier Yoon, co-founder of Singapore-based CraveFX, says Netflix’s AI adoption was only a matter of time:
“AI definitely opens the gate to allow smaller studios to achieve big-budget-looking visuals,”
— Davier Yoon, CraveFX
He emphasized that while AI tools can assist, the final creative control still rests with the artist — not the algorithm.
🌐 What This Means for the Future
Generative AI is rapidly transforming how stories are told on screen. While it brings powerful advantages for cost, scale, and innovation, the entertainment world must now navigate the fine balance between tech and talent.
As more studios test the waters with AI, the real question is not if AI will become a standard part of production — but how it will reshape the roles of filmmakers, VFX artists, and storytellers in the coming years.
🔍 Stay Tuned
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