Netflix uses GenAI to create on-screen footage in new projects

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Netflix has officially joined the wave of entertainment companies using AI to improve their productions. 

During a recent earnings call, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that the streaming giant has used generative AI called GenAI to create actual footage in one of its original series. 

The scene, a building collapse, appeared in the upcoming Argentine sci-fi show El Eternauta, marking what Sarandos called “the very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen” for the platform.

Netflix’s internal production team collaborated with the show’s producers to generate the visual using AI tools. 

According to Sarandos, this AI-assisted scene was completed ten times faster than it would have taken with traditional visual effects, and it cost significantly less.

He emphasized that AI isn’t replacing creatives, but rather giving them better tools. “This is real people doing real work with better tools,” Sarandos said. 

He added that AI is already helping creators in areas like pre-visualization, shot planning, and advanced visual effects, tools that used to be limited to big-budget films. 

For example, techniques like de-aging actors are now becoming more accessible through AI.

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters also chimed in, noting that the company is using AI in other parts of its business too, including content personalization, search, and advertising. (Via: TechCrunch)

He revealed that Netflix plans to launch interactive ads powered by AI in the second half of 2025. Earlier this year, they rolled out an AI-enhanced search feature as well.

Financially, Netflix had a strong quarter. In Q2, the company reported $11.08 billion in revenue, a 16% jump from the same time last year, with profits reaching $3.13 billion. 

Viewership remains high, with users streaming over 95 billion hours of content in the first half of 2025. 

Interestingly, one-third of that viewing time was spent on non-English shows and movies, highlighting the platform’s growing global reach.

Netflix is leaning into AI, not to replace people, but to make its content faster, cheaper, and even more dynamic.

Do you think Netflix’s use of AI to create on-screen footage is an innovative cost-saving tool? Or does it set a concerning precedent for replacing human creativity in entertainment? Tell us below in the comments, or reach us via our Twitter or Facebook.