Netflix has integrated artificial intelligence into approximately 300 titles, deploying the technology throughout various phases of the filmmaking process, such as previsualisation, production design, editing, and visual effects (VFX).
This information was revealed during a panel at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, where creators and Netflix representatives explored how AI might lower budgets while maintaining the central role of human imagination.
Netflix Uses AI Across Different Stages of Production
Sung Q Lee, Netflix‘s senior director of production for Asia-Pacific, noted that the streaming service has utilized AI in diverse capacities for its projects.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lee explained that the tech has aided in previsualizing scenes prior to shooting, designing production assets, testing set decoration concepts, handling edits, and generating visual effects.
The conversation pointed out practical challenges that AI can alleviate, especially when financial and schedule limits hinder directors from making on-screen alterations. However, this does not imply that entire movies on the platform are generated by AI.
An example is Netflix India’s ‘Glory’, which relied on artificial intelligence to produce visual effects representing massive crowds.
AI Could Reduce Filmmaking Costs by 40%
South Korean director Kang Yoon-sung, who helmed ‘The Outlaws’, spoke about how AI can bring ambitious concepts within financial reach.
Kang reported that incorporating AI into ‘The Gulf of Aden’ slashed production expenses by as much as 40 percent. Such tools can streamline shooting, enabling projects that might otherwise have been deemed too expensive to produce.
Kang also directed the South Korean project ‘Run to the West’, which made extensive use of AI, particularly for creature design and compositing.
Also Read: How VFX and AI Are Rebuilding India’s Modern Mythological Cinema
Human Creativity Remains Critical to Filmmaking
Alongside the technical perks and cost efficiencies, the panel highlighted the boundaries of artificial intelligence. The speakers emphasized that technological advancements alone cannot produce emotional resonance or substitute for the artistic choices that define a movie.
While AI-generated visuals continue to grow more lifelike, high realism does not automatically create the emotional connection viewers expect from cinema.
These themes formed part of a broader conversation at the Busan Film Festival concerning the wider industry debate over artificial intelligence in cinema.
Even though the technology is capable of cutting expenses, smoothing out production pipelines, and enhancing visual effects, ultimate artistic choices will still rest with people. These remarks align with Netflix’s stance that AI ought to act as an aid to human creativity rather than a substitute.
