Netflix has started using generative artificial intelligence (AI) in its movies and series for the very first time. The popular streaming service applied this technology in its new Argentinian science fiction series titled El Eternauta,

Netflix used generative AI to create a scene in the sci-fi series The Eternaut — a first for one of the streamer’s original shows or films. During an earnings call on Thursday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the use of AI was faster than using traditional visual effects tools and helped cut costs.

Netflix CEO has revealed that to cut and manage costs for a recent hit 96% Rotten Tomatoes sci-fi series, generative AI was used during production.

This week, Netflix confirmed that it has used generative AI in one of its series for the first time. Co-CEO of the streamer Ted Sarandos shared the news on a company conference call yesterday, reports TechCrunch, claiming that Netflix was the platform with “the very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen.”

Surprisingly, Sarandos said the company already did it, on an Argentinian sci-fi show called El Eternauta, a graphic-novel adaptation known as The Eternaut in English-speaking markets. For a scene showing a building collapsing in Buenos Aires, Netflix's tech team worked with the filmmakers to generate AI footage that was used as final footage.

The streamer said in an earnings call that, due to the show's lower budget, it was cheaper to use AI than to pay VFX artists.