Netflix Uses AI Effects for the First Time = Faster Film Production?

Imagine you are the creator of a sci-fi series with a limited budget and need to shoot a dramatic scene in which an entire building collapses. In the past, this would have meant weeks of work by special effects specialists and enormous costs. But now? Netflix is showing how it can be done faster and more cheaply thanks to artificial intelligence. The Argentine sci-fi series The Eternauts featured visual effects created using generative AI for the first time, a technology that generates images and videos based on text descriptions. This not only sped up production but also opened the door for smaller projects to achieve spectacular visuals. Let’s take a look at the details of this innovation that is shaking up the entertainment industry.

Netflix’s First Practical Steps with AI

Netflix announced that it used generative artificial intelligence in The Eternauts to create a scene in which a building collapses in Buenos Aires. According to the company’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos, this allowed the production team to complete the sequence ten times faster than would have been possible using traditional special effects methods. Otherwise, the costs would have been prohibitive for a series with a smaller budget. Ted Sarandos emphasized that the creators were thrilled with the result and that these were the first-ever final shots created using generative AI in an original Netflix series or film.

The series stars Argentine actor Ricardo Darín, who portrays Juan Salvo. The series is a sci-fi story set in a snow-covered environment where the characters face apocalyptic events. It was in one of these scenes that AI came into play—it created a realistic building collapse that would traditionally have required complex modeling and rendering. Ted Sarandos explained that this technology expands the possibilities for lower-budget productions, which can now afford advanced visual effects.

Controversy Surrounding AI in the Entertainment Industry

The use of generative AI is not without controversy. In 2023, Hollywood was hit by a strike during which the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists called for stricter regulation of AI. Concerns center on AI creating content without the consent of authors and potentially replacing human labor. For example, in 2024, film mogul Tyler Perry halted plans for an $800 million expansion of his Atlanta studio due to the rapid advances in AI-generated video, such as OpenAI’s Sora. It can create high-quality footage from simple text prompts alone, raising fears about jobs.

BBC reporter Osmond Chia, who covered the topic from Singapore, quotes Davier Yoon, co-founder of Singapore-based animation studio CraveFX. According to him, Netflix’s adoption of AI comes as no surprise—major studios welcome it as another tool in their visual effects arsenal. Yoon emphasizes that AI opens the door for smaller studios to achieve big-budget visuals, but ultimately it is the artist who decides the final result, not the AI itself.

Netflix’s Financial Success and the Role of AI

This news comes as Netflix reports strong financial results. In the three months through the end of June 2025, revenue rose 16% to $11 billion compared with the same period last year, while profits increased from $2.1 billion to $3.1 billion. Much of this was driven by the success of the third and final season of the South Korean thriller Squid Game, which reached 122 million views. Ted Sarandos noted that AI is helping to expand the range of content, contributing to growth.

In the context of international business and technology, this demonstrates how AI is changing the way entertainment is created. The Argentine series The Eternauts is only the beginning—Netflix is showing that innovation can reduce costs and accelerate production without compromising quality. Nevertheless, the question remains as to how the industry will address the ethical challenges to ensure that AI serves creators rather than replacing them.

This story makes us think about the future of film: Will AI be an ally of creativity or a threat to artists? For now, Netflix is betting on the former, and the results look promising. If you are interested in sci-fi with elements of reality, The Eternauts could be your next discovery—now even more so thanks to the smart technology behind the scenes.