Netflix debuts AI-created building collapse scenes in “The Eternaut.” Here’s where you can spot it.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed during the company’s latest earnings call that the streaming giant used AI-generated content in its original series “The Eternaut,” marking the first time Netflix has incorporated AI-created footage in an original production. The AI was used to generate scenes of a building collapsing in the post-apocalyptic drama, completing the visual effects sequence “10 times faster than it could have been completed with traditional VFX tools and workflow.”

What you should know: The AI-generated content appears in two brief shots showing portions of a building falling to the ground in episode 6 at the 59:50 mark.

• The scenes would have been impossible to film within the project’s budget constraints, according to Sarandos.
• While traditional visual effects could have achieved the same result, the AI approach significantly reduced production time and costs.
• Most viewers likely didn’t notice the AI-generated content, as the shots are spliced quickly with real footage and last only about a second each.

Why this matters: This represents a significant milestone in Netflix’s adoption of AI technology for content creation, moving beyond assistance tools to actually generating viewable content.

• The disclosure came months after the show’s release, raising questions about transparency with audiences regarding AI-generated content.
• Sarandos framed the technology as “an incredible opportunity” for creators to make content “better and cheaper,” describing it as “real people doing real work with better tools.”

Netflix’s broader AI initiatives: The streaming platform has been expanding its use of artificial intelligence across multiple areas of its business.

• Two months ago, Netflix introduced an AI search feature that allows users to describe what they want to watch in conversational terms.
• In May 2024, the company launched generative AI advertisements.
• While AI tools are common in the entertainment industry, this marks Netflix’s first use of AI to create actual content rather than assist in production processes.

The bigger picture: The entertainment industry continues grappling with how to integrate AI technology while maintaining transparency with audiences and supporting traditional creative workflows.

• The seamless integration of AI-generated content demonstrates the technology’s advancing capabilities in visual effects.
• However, the delayed disclosure highlights ongoing debates about when and how companies should inform consumers about AI-generated content in entertainment media.