Netflix has made a significant stride in content production by integrating generative artificial intelligence (AI) for visual effects in its original series, 'The Eternaut'. This marks the first time the streaming giant has used AI for final footage in one of its productions, primarily to reduce costs and accelerate the production timeline. The move highlights a growing trend of AI adoption in the entertainment industry, sparking both excitement and debate.
Netflix Embraces AI for 'The Eternaut'
Netflix's co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, recently confirmed the groundbreaking use of generative AI in 'The Eternaut', an Argentine sci-fi series that premiered in April. The AI was specifically employed to create a complex visual effects sequence depicting a building collapsing in Buenos Aires. This particular scene, according to Sarandos, was completed ten times faster than it would have been using traditional VFX methods.
Cost-Efficiency and Production Speed
The primary drivers behind Netflix's decision to utilise AI were cost reduction and increased production efficiency. Sarandos stated that the cost of producing the building collapse sequence through conventional means would have been unfeasible for 'The Eternaut's' budget. This demonstrates AI's potential to make ambitious visual effects accessible to a wider range of productions.
Key Takeaways:
First use of generative AI for final footage in a Netflix original production.
A building collapse scene in 'The Eternaut' was created using AI.
The AI-powered VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than traditional methods.
Significant cost savings were achieved, making the scene feasible within the show's budget.
Industry Reactions and Future Implications
The integration of generative AI in content creation has elicited a mixed response within the entertainment industry. While proponents, like Sarandos, view it as a tool to expand storytelling possibilities and enhance production quality, critics express concerns about job displacement and the ethical implications of using AI to generate content, particularly regarding intellectual property and consent. The debate surrounding AI's role in Hollywood was a central point of contention during the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes.
Despite these concerns, Netflix appears committed to exploring AI's potential. Sarandos has previously highlighted AI's ability to save money on de-aging effects in films, citing 'Pedro Paramo' as an example where the entire budget was comparable to the VFX cost of 'The Irishman'. The company is also reportedly planning to introduce interactive ads powered by generative AI for ad-tier subscribers starting in 2026, further solidifying its embrace of the technology.
'The Eternaut', based on the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel, has already proven to be a success, topping Netflix's global Top 10 for non-English-language series and breaking into the overall Top 10 in several countries. A second season has already been confirmed, suggesting that Netflix's innovative approach to production is yielding positive results.