Some 300 Netflix projects have used AI, and nobody has noticed

While in video games players seem to be turning their backs on every title that decides to use AI, in the world of film and television it’s vastly more complex, because they don’t have to announce it… and the result has been catastrophic. So much so that Netflix has put its foot in it (well, its whole leg) by saying without the slightest embarrassment that as many as 300 projects last year used the technology in one way or another, generally to do things that used to be handled with CGI. Ouch.

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Want examples? There are heaps of them. For example, in the Indian sports series Glory, the miniseries Brazil 70, or the docuseries based on the American Revolution, The American Experiment. AI apparently helped increase the number of extras and improve the battle sequences. They’re pitching it as a way for productions to have every scene included at a knockdown price, but of course, without human involvement.

“We’re using these tools to deliver better-quality content faster and at lower cost than with traditional methods”. Lower cost and faster? No doubt. Better quality? Netflix, we’ve all seen what LLMs are capable of. Give me a break. the company has gone all in on AI lately, whether in trifles like helping the website’s algorithm or in monstrosities like opening an animation studio to create productions with AI, something Amazon Prime Video has also set up (and they got crucified for it).

According to Ted Sarands, the 17 minutes of AI in The American Experiment have been very positive, but he doesn’t believe it’s going to replace creative professionals. For now, anyway. “We believe good artists make good things, and AI isn’t going to change that. Movies are made by the people who make movies. AI gives them better tools to make them even better”. The backlash is going to be simply spectacular.