Advanced Television

Netflix deploys GenAI in sci-fi series

July 18, 2025

Netflix has used artificial intelligence (AI) in one of its TV shows for the first time. Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, speaking to investors during the company’s quarterly earnings call, said AI would make films and programmes cheaper and of better quality.

The Argentinian science fiction series, El Eternauta (The Eternaut). uses generative AI footage. “We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,” Sarandos told analysts.

He said the series, which follows survivors of a rapid and devastating toxic snowfall, involved Netflix and visual effects (VFX) artists using AI to show a building collapsing in Buenos Aires.

“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,” Sarandos explained. He said the use of AI tools allowed Netflix to fund the show at a much lower cost than is typical for a big-budget production.

“This is real people doing real work with better tools. Our creators are already seeing the benefits in production through pre-visualisation and shot planning work, and certainly visual effects. I think these tools are helping creators expand the possibilities of storytelling on screen, and that is endlessly exciting,” added Sarandos.

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