Netflix has confirmed that it used generative artificial intelligence (AI) to create a visual effects (VFX) scene in The Eternaut, an original Argentine sci-fi drama that premiered in April 2025. It is apparently the first original series or film on the platform to utilise the technology to produce final on-screen footage, potentially signalling the company’s growing interest in AI-powered production tools.

Speaking during Netflix’s latest earnings call, co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed that the generative AI was employed to generate a shot of a building collapse set in Buenos Aires. According to Sarandos, the scene would have been too costly to produce using traditional VFX methods given the show’s budget constraints. 

“Using AI powered tools, they were able to achieve an amazing result with remarkable speed,” Sarandos said during the earnings call. “In fact, that VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with… traditional VFX tools and workflows.”

Sarandos explained that the creators of The Eternaut were keen to include the collapse scene, but the budget did not allow for it to be executed through a typical visual effects studio. “That VFX sequence just wouldn’t have been feasible for a show in that budget,” he said. “We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper.”

Meanwhile, creatives in the entertainment industry have not taken kindly to the use of generative AI. Beyond that, it is unclear whether the generative AI models used in the production were illegally trained on copyrighted material.

(Source: Engadget)

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