Netflix is going all in with generative AI on its platform. The company plans to use AI to improve content creation, marketing, and user experience, making it one of the first major streaming players to embrace AI at this scale.
The streaming giant is equipping creators with generative AI tools designed to speed up production and inspire innovation. For example, AI was used to craft a complex building collapse scene in the Argentine series The Eternaut, offering a cheaper alternative to traditional visual effects. In Happy Gilmore 2, AI helped de-age characters for flashback sequences. Reality show Billionaires’ Bunker also tapped AI in pre-production for wardrobe and set design exploration.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that Netflix is not stopping at production. The company is beta testing an AI-powered conversational search tool, allowing users to find shows and movies with natural language queries. AI is also helping localize promotional materials, create more targeted ads, and speed up media planning.
CEO Ted Sarandos stressed that AI is meant to complement human creativity, not replace it. Clear guidelines are in place to make sure that AI-generated content undergoes legal review, especially when it simulates performers’ likenesses.
By integrating AI across content creation, marketing, and user experience, Netflix is attempting something few in the entertainment industry have tried. The company wants to empower creators, improve production speed, and deliver smarter experiences for viewers, all without sacrificing storytelling. But whether this bold experiment will resonate with audiences remains to be seen.
