Netflix Says It Used Generative AI In One Of Its TV Shows ‘El Eternauta’ For The First Time, Helping ‘Creators Make Films And Series Better’ While Also Saving On Costs
Not bringing in generative AI for movies and TV shows was just delaying the inevitable, because the world’s biggest streaming platform, Netflix, has admitted that it leveraged the technology for one of its latest TV series titled El Eternauta. In addition to saving heaps of money, the company states that it will enable creative professionals to make future content significantly better. Unfortunately, this move could also be the start where these creative minds have their livelihood at stake because of the very technology they took advantage of.
Co-Chief Executive of Netflix says that the cost of special effects used in El Eternauta would go over budget if the company did not resort to using generative AI
For those who do not know, El Eternauta, or The Eternaut, is an Argentinian science fiction series that employs various visual effects using generative AI. The streaming giant’s co-Chief Executive, Ted Sarandos, informed analysts during Netflix’s Q2 earnings regarding the shift to generative AI, claiming that aside from mitigating costs, using this technology will bring out the creative side of creators.
“We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper. 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. The cost of [the special effects without AI] just wouldn’t have been feasible for a show in that budget.”
With generative AI, Sarandos says that his production team completed a sequence that showed the collapse of a building in Buenos Aires 10 times faster than if they used conventional special effects tools. He also mentions that the team was thrilled when they saw the results for the first time. The decision to use generative AI means that Netflix will aggressively use this technology, particularly for TV series and movies that fit the science-fiction genre.
In short, the streaming platform has embraced generative AI, with Sarandos mentioning that creators have already witnessed the vast benefits of this addition, with ‘real people doing real work with better tools.’ While reducing production costs will be Netflix’s target from hereon, the real danger is when a majority of the team is no longer required because generative AI can pretty much replace them in the future. We shall save this discussion for a later time, but readers can understand where we are coming from, as the industry’s fears are somewhat warranted.
