Latest news with #Sarandos
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Netflix admits using Gen AI for one of its shows to cut costs
Netflix has used visual effects powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI) in one of its original TV shows for the first time, signaling the company's growing adoption of AI in content creation. During a call with investors last week, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that the Argentine series The Eternaut, which premiered in April, features 'the very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix, Inc. original series or film.' 'The creators wanted to show a building collapsing in Buenos Aires. So our iLine team which is the production innovation group within Scanline, Netflix's in-house visual effects studio partnered with the show's creative team using AI-powered tools,' Sarandos explained. 'That VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it would have been using traditional visual effects tools and workflows. And the cost of producing it through conventional means would simply not have been feasible for a show with that budget.' He emphasised that generative AI enabled the production team to deliver certain sequences faster and at a lower cost. However, the use of generative AI in content creation has sparked a mixed response in the entertainment industry. Critics argue that it can create content using others' work without their consent and fear it could replace human jobs. AI was a major point of contention during the 2023 Hollywood writers' strike. Under the new agreement, studios are prohibited from using AI to write or edit scripts that have already been written by a human writer. Sarandos previously stated that Netflix's use of generative AI will not interfere with its commitment to 'telling great stories.' Tools like OpenAI's Sora and Google's Veo 3 have intensified concerns in the industry, as they allow users to generate Hollywood-quality footage from simple text prompts raising fears about job security and creative livelihoods. Netflix has plans to introduce interactive ads powered by generative AI during shows and movies for ad-tier subscribers starting in 2026. The Eternaut is Argentina's most ambitious sci-fi series. The production is based on the Eisner Award-winning graphic novel The Eternaut (El Eternauta), written by Héctor G. Oesterheld and illustrated by Francisco Solano López. The comic was originally published in installments from 1957 to 1959, and later released as a single volume in 2015. When the show debuted earlier this year, The Eternaut quickly topped Netflix's global Top 10 for non-English-language series. It also broke into the overall Top 10 in several countries, including the US, Brazil, France, Germany, and Spain. A second season of The Eternaut has already been confirmed
Express Tribune
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Netflix resorted to AI use in Argentine sci-fi series
Netflix said on Thursday that it used generative artificial intelligence to produce visual effects that appeared for the first time on screen in one of its original series, employing a technology that has been a source of anxiety throughout Hollywood. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos hailed AI as "an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper." Sarandos offered the example of Argentine science-fiction series El Eternauta (The Eternaut), where the creators wanted to show a building collapsing in Buenos Aires – a visual effect that would have been beyond the project's budget. The creative team partnered with Eyeline Studios, a production innovation group within Netflix, to make the dramatic scene with the aid of AI. "That VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with visual traditional VFX tools and workflows," Sarandos said during the company's second-quarter investor call. "And also the cost of it would just wouldn't have been feasible for a show in that budget." Sarandos said the sequence is the first GenAI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film. AI has become a flashpoint in Hollywood since the labour unrest of 2023, which resulted in new guidelines for the use of the technology. The main concern is that AI could replace the work of humans. Co-CEO Greg Peters said Netflix may find other ways to leverage generative AI to improve the user experience – including offering viewers the ability to use spoken words to find something to watch. "Saying 'I want to watch a film from the '80s that's a dark psychological thriller,' (and getting) some results back ... you just couldn't have done in our previous experiences," said Peters. "So that's super-exciting." Advertising represents another opportunity for generative AI, Peters said, as brands and marketers seek to create compelling content. "We think these generative techniques can decrease that hurdle iteratively over time and enable us to do that in more and more spots," said Peters. Reuters
Engadget
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Netflix is already using generative AI in its original shows
Netflix admitted during its earnings call on Thursday that it used generative AI to create VFX in The Eternaut , a Netflix original from Argentina that was released in April 2025. The company's co-CEO Ted Sarandos said that generative AI was specifically used for a VFX shot in the post-apocalyptic drama, but the move is one of several ways Netflix is embracing AI. According to Sarandos, the creators of The Eternaut wanted to include a shot of building collapsing in Buenos Aires, and rather than contract a studio of visual effects artists to create the footage, Netflix used generative AI to create it. "Using AI powered tools, they were able to achieve an amazing result with remarkable speed," Sarandos shared during the earnings call. "In fact, that VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with... traditional VFX tools and workflows." The shot "just wouldn't have been feasible for a show on that budget," Sarandos says, as someone with some input on the show's budget. The executive says that The Eternaut features "the very first Gen AI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film." Clearly, the show is also a prototype for how Netflix can avoid costs it doesn't want to swallow in the future. Workers in the entertainment industry have not taken kindly to the use of generative AI. Labor strikes — including the recently resolved SAG-AFTRA video game strike — have made securing protections against AI a central issue. The Oscar-nominated film The Brutalist came under fire in 2024 for using AI tools during production. Beyond that, whether generative AI models were illegally trained on copyrighted material is still an open question. Netflix plans to use generative AI to create ads for its ad-support Netflix subscription, and the company is reportedly testing a new search feature powered by OpenAI models. Using generative AI in production might seem par for the course for a company that's already invested, but it could help to normalize a technology that many creatives remain actively against.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Netflix reveals first-ever show it created using generative AI, CEO Ted Sarandos says, ‘We were thrilled…'
Netflix has revealed its first-ever show that was created using generative AI. The streaming giant's co-CEO, Ted Sarandos , said that the company was "thrilled" with the results. The company used the technology to reduce costs on "The Eternaut," an Argentine production based on a science fiction comic. Sarandos confirmed that "The Eternaut" is the first Netflix title to incorporate fully AI-generated shots in its final footage. This includes a sequence depicting the collapse of a building in Buenos Aires. According to Sarandos, such an effect would not have been cost-effective for a production of " The Eternaut 's" size without the use of AI. What Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said about using AI in production During Netflix's recent quarterly earnings call, Sarandos told analysts: "In fact, that VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with visual, traditional VFX tools and workflows. The creators were thrilled with the result. We were thrilled with the result. And more importantly, the audience was thrilled with the result. So, I think these tools are helping creators expand the possibilities of storytelling on screen, and that is endlessly exciting.' This is not the first time Netflix has turned to AI for production. Previously, Sarandos has highlighted the company's use of AI in Rodrigo Prieto's film Pedro Páramo. He explained how it significantly reduced the cost of de-ageing effects, especially when compared to the much more expensive approach used in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo During Netflix's first quarter earnings call in April, Sarandos said: "In fact, the entire budget of the film was about the VFX cost on 'The Irishman.'' Despite this, the use of AI continues to be a complex topic within Hollywood. In 2023, concerns over its use played a key role in the actors' and writers' strikes that temporarily halted production. Viewers also criticised Marvel Studios for using AI-generated credit art in Secret Invasion on Disney+. At the same time, filmmaker Tyler Perry said he delayed expanding his studio due to the capabilities AI already offers. One of the most likely areas to see changes is visual effects, especially as audience expectations for action-heavy and superhero films put pressure on production costs. As Netflix's recent developments show, the impact of AI is extending beyond just big-budget films. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Netflix reveals it used AI in Argentinian sci-fi series
July 18 (UPI) -- The Netflix streaming service said this week it is using artificial intelligence for the first time in order to create realistic effects for a foreign sci-fi series. The company's revenue is certainly on the rise, which rose 16% during the second quarter of 2025, and is expected to be between $44.8 billion and $45.2 billion, up from a range of $43.5 billion to $44.5 billion as per its full-year revenue forecast. Its profits grew from $2.1 billion to $3.1 billion. As for its AI usage, Netflix co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos said the Argentinian science fiction program The Eternaut was the first for which generative AI footage was utilized. "We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper," he told analysts Thursday after Netflix reported its second-quarter financial results. According to Sarandos, visual effects artists used AI for Eternaut to show the collapse of a building. "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," he said. "The cost of [the special effects without the use of AI] just wouldn't have been feasible for a show in that budget." The Eternaut, or El Eternauta, is based on an apocalyptic Argentine comic book and graphic novel about the survivors of an alien invasion. Copyright 2025 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
