Netflix is using artificial intelligence to generate VFX effects for this upcoming TV series

Netflix

AI has taken over the world, and the entertainment industry is now also leveraging the power of AI to bring down the production cost. Netflix has recently confirmed that it has used generative artificial intelligence in a television show for the first time. The technology was employed to enhance visual effects in El Eternauta, an Argentinian sci-fi series currently in production. The announcement was made by Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos during the company’s Q2 2025 earnings call.

According to Sarandos, generative AI was used in a sequence depicting the collapse of a building in Buenos Aires. The use of AI-powered tools helped VFX artists complete the scene ten times faster than conventional workflows would have allowed. “It enabled an amazing result with remarkable speed,” he told analysts.

Netflix said this application of AI made the visual effects feasible within the show’s budget, allowing it to pursue more ambitious storytelling without significantly increasing production costs.

Sarandos described generative AI as a way to support creators, not replace them. He emphasised that real people are still doing the work, but with better tools. “Our creators are already seeing the benefits in pre-visualisation, shot planning, and visual effects,” he said.

While some industry professionals have raised concerns about job displacement due to AI, Sarandos framed the technology as a means to expand creative possibilities rather than reduce human input.