Netflix has moved generative AI from production discussion into finished screen work. The company said it has started using AI in movies and shows it produces, with co-CEO Ted Sarandos pointing to an Argentine series as the first clear example.
The case matters because video AI companies often describe how their models and tools could support Hollywood studio workflows. Netflix is now saying that one of those workflows has already reached final footage on its platform.
Where Netflix Says GenAI Appeared On Screen
During the company’s post-results conference call, Sarandos said Netflix had “the very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen” in an Argentine show called “El Eternauta” (“The Eternaut”).
The example he described was a scene showing a building collapsing. According to Sarandos, Netflix’s internal production group worked with producers to create that shot using AI.
That detail is important because Netflix framed the work as a collaboration between its production team and creators, not as a standalone replacement for production. Sarandos described the process as people using improved tools to do real production work.
Why The Building-Collapse Scene Stands Out
Sarandos said the AI-assisted scene was completed 10x faster than it would have been with traditional visual effect tools. He also said it cost less.
Those two points explain why generative AI is drawing attention inside film and television production. Visual effects can shape what a project is able to show on screen, and the time and cost of those effects can influence what kinds of scenes are practical for a production.
Netflix’s example is narrow but concrete: one scene, in one show, using GenAI for final footage. The company did not describe a broad replacement of visual effects workflows. Instead, it highlighted a specific production moment where AI helped deliver a complex shot more quickly and at lower cost.
Netflix’s Pitch Is About Better Tools, Not Only Lower Costs
Sarandos said Netflix sees AI as a way to help creators improve films and series, not merely to reduce spending. He pointed to several production uses already being explored by creators.
- Pre-visualization
- Shot-planning work
- Visual effects
He also mentioned advanced visual effects such as de-aging, saying that work like this used to be available only to big-budget projects. In Netflix’s framing, AI-powered creator tools could make sophisticated production techniques more accessible across a wider range of projects.
That is the broader implication of the “El Eternauta” example. If a difficult effects shot can be finished faster and for less money, creators may have more room to consider ambitious visuals earlier in the planning process. The source does not say how widely Netflix will apply this approach, but it does show how the company wants to talk about GenAI inside production: as a practical tool for creators.
GenAI Is Also Moving Through Netflix’s Product
Netflix’s use of generative AI is not limited to shows and films. Co-CEO Greg Peters said the company is using GenAI in other parts of the business as well.
Those areas include personalization, search and ads. Earlier this year, Netflix introduced AI-powered search. Peters also said the company aims to roll out interactive ads in the second half of this year.
This puts Netflix’s AI work in two connected categories. One is production, where AI can help creators plan shots and build visual effects. The other is the service itself, where AI can affect how people search, receive recommendations and encounter advertising.
The Business Context Behind The Announcement
The AI comments came alongside Netflix’s second-quarter results. The company reported revenue of $11.08 billion, up 16% from a year earlier, and profit of $3.13 billion.
Netflix also said users watched over 95 billion hours of content in the first half of 2025. Non-English titles accounted for one-third of all its views.
That context helps explain why the “El Eternauta” example is notable. Netflix is a global service with large viewing volumes, and the AI-assisted footage appeared in a non-English title. The company’s own figures show that non-English programming is a major part of what its users watch.
For now, Netflix’s clearest public production example is a building-collapse scene in “El Eternauta.” But the company’s message is wider: GenAI is becoming part of both how Netflix makes content and how it shapes the viewing experience around that content.