Even though the subject of AI as a tool in the creative realm remains as polarizing as ever, some are still onboard with it. Netflix boss Ted Sarandos has admitted that AI was used in the production of the Argentinian dystopian sci-fi horror series The Eternaut, and while the streamer has been involved in AI controversies in the past, this marks the first occasion in which they openly confirm the use of the divisive technology. As reported by The Guardian, Sarandos spoke at an event where the streamer presented its revenue results for the second quarter of the year. “We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,” Sarandos said about the controversial subject during the event. Additionally, he brought up a scene in the post-apocalyptic series where a Buenos Aires building collapses, explaining that the VFX artists used AI to finish the work faster:
“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.”

Netflix’s Use of AI Sets a Dangerous Precedent

Netflix

Not many people know how difficult and how expensive it is to make a movie or a TV show. On that note, Sarandos may have a point in saying that using AI allowed them to save a few bucks. Then again, that’s literally the reason why the use of AI has drawn so much controversy lately. It’s a machine doing what a human being can totally achieve. Only with more effort, and yes, more money.

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Sarandos didn’t say the scene was created by AI. He implied that AI was used in the creation of the scene. Even though it calls for interpretation, it just doesn’t sound great for special effects teams across the industry: “This is real people doing real work with better tools. Our creators are already seeing the benefits in production through pre-visualization 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.” The precedent of Netflix’s admission is not only dangerous because of VFX artists losing a gig to a machine. It’s also about the fact that, most of the time, a machine just can’t match what a real person brings to the table when they have access to the tool (and enough time) to complete the work. The Eternaut was very popular, and yet nobody, to our knowledge, pointed at the screen and whistled à la Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood when the building in question crumbled to the ground. The problem is not that Netflix admitted to the use of AI. The problem is that the scene flew under the radar, and we failed to notice it was AI. Source: The Guardian

The Eternaut

3
/5

Release Date

April 30, 2025

Network

Netflix

Directors

Bruno Stagnaro

Writers

Ariel Staltari

Ricardo Darín

Juan Salvo