By Muhammad Sal
Netflix has started using artificial intelligence to create special effects in its shows, making production faster and cheaper.
In its Q2 2025 earnings call, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that the Argentine sci-fi series El Eternauta featured the first-ever final footage made with generative AI. A key scene showing a building collapsing in Buenos Aires was created using AI tools developed by Netflix and the show’s team. Sarandos said this effect was finished ten times faster than with traditional visual effects and saved a lot of money.
Sarandos explained that AI helps filmmakers improve their work, not just cut costs. “These are real people doing real work with better tools,” he said. AI is already used for planning shots, pre-visualization, and advanced effects like de-aging actors or enhancing scenes, work once limited to big-budget productions.
Netflix’s other co-CEO, Greg Peters, added that the company is applying AI across its platform, beyond just production. This includes personalizing recommendations, improving searches, and preparing to launch AI-powered interactive ads later this year.
The announcement came with strong financial news for Netflix, which reported $11.08 billion in revenue for the quarter, a 16% increase from last year. Viewers streamed over 95 billion hours of content in the first half of 2025, with one-third of this time spent watching non-English shows, showing Netflix’s global reach.
While using AI in film raises worries about job losses among creative professionals, Netflix insists AI is a tool to empower creators.
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