--- title: "Netflix Says It Used Video-Generating AI for Special Effects in a New Show" description: "Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos just bragged that it used generative AI to create the VFX in its new TV show \"The Eternaut.\"" date: "2025-07-27" modified: "2025-07-27" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore.md" url: "https://futurism.com/netflix-video-generating-ai-tv" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai video" - "generative ai" - "movies" - "netflix" --- # Netflix Says It Used Video-Generating AI for Special Effects in a New Show ![Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos just bragged that it used generative AI to create the VFX in its new TV show "The Eternaut."]() *\Image: Netflix\* Streaming [slop](), meet AI slop. Netflix is bragging that, for the first time, it's used generative AI in one of its original, scripted TV shows, [*Ars Technica* reports,]() signaling its championing of a technology that the streamer claims will shorten production times, lower costs, all while supposedly enhancing the quality of its series and films. "We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper," Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos [said]() in an earnings call with investors on Thursday. The show in question is "El Eternauta" (The Eternaut), an Argentine science fiction series which depicts an apocalyptic world where a toxic snowfall has killed millions of people. According to Sarandos, the show's creators leveraged AI to depict a sequence where a building collapses 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 ten times faster than it could have been completed with traditional VFX tools and workflows," Sarandos claimed. "It used to be that only big-budget projects would have access to advanced visual effects like de-aging," he added. The Eternaut premiered in late April, became an instant hit, and is expected to be renewed for a second season. At the time of its release, there was [significant buzz]() about the quality of its visual effects. According to a [*Deadline* interview]() with the show's creators, "The Eternaut" involved an incredible 2,000 VFX shots. Given the huge amount of footage that goes into making a TV show, as well as tight budgets and schedules, it's not surprising to see why producers would be tempted to chuck AI into the mix to speed things along. It's unclear, however, what AI software was used in the show. "Our creators are already seeing the benefits in production through pre-visualization and shot planning work and, certainly, visual effects," Sarandos said, per *Ars*. "It used to be that only big-budget projects would have access to advanced visual effects like de-aging." The role of AI tools remains contentious in the industry, and for good reason. Actors have fought tooth and nail to win AI protections in a [groundbreaking deal]() by carrying out the longest strike against film studios in Hollywood history. Video game performers followed with their own strike that [ended last month]() after a tentative agreement was reached. Whether they work in front of the camera or behind it, many in the industry fear their jobs being replaced by AI. There's a heap of artistic reasons, too. Generative AI outputs can end up [looking terrible](), and potentially undermine the integrity of the work, as the scandals around several high-profile, AI-tinged films, including "[The Brutalist]()" and "[Alien: Romulus]()," have shown. Netflix has been flirting with AI usage for a while now. Its other co-CEO, Greg Peters, said in an earnings call [last year]() that AI could be a "critical" storytelling tool for creators. The remarks came amid controversy for one of its true crime documentaries [using what were almost certainly AI-manipulated images](). Early this year, the streamer also caught flak for using AI to [reconstruct the voice of a murder victim]() in another true crime doc. Other streamers have been more ardent about the tech. Amazon, for example, has experimented with [AI-generated recaps]() of TV shows, and an AI tool that recommends content based on similar character arcs and plot points. In March, it debuted "[AI-aided]()" dubs of select TV shows. It's fair to say that Netflix is now going all-in on the tech. On Monday, [*Bloomberg* reported]() that Netflix has started using the [video-generating AI]() from the startup [Runway]() for "content production." It was not, however, used to help create the VFX in "The Eternaut." **More on movies:** *[Tech Startup Raises $24 Million to Replace Hollywood With AI Slop]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() ## More - [Netflix Is Using AI to Upscale a 1980s Sitcom and the Results Are Borderline Horrific]() - [Netflix Brags That It Used AI to Replace Human Animators In New Anime]() - [Netflix True Crime Producer Responds to AI Allegations in “What Jennifer Did” Documentary]() - [Netflix CEO Says AI Is “Storytelling” Tool as Controversy Rages Over Company’s AI Use in “True Crime” Documentary]() - [Netflix Uses Seemingly AI-Manipulated Images in True Crime Doc]() - [Marvel Used AI to Generate the Intro Sequence to Its New Show, Angering Fans]() - [Star Wars’ Showcase of AI Special Effects Was a Complete Disaster]() - [New Video-Generating AI Trained 100 Percent on Public Domain Films]()