Netflix has used artificial intelligence (AI) in around 300 titles, applying the technology across different stages of filmmaking, including previsualisation, production design, editing and visual effects (VFX).
The disclosure came during an industry discussion at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, where Netflix executives and filmmakers discussed AI's potential to reduce production costs while stressing the importance of human creativity.
Sung Q Lee, Netflix's senior director of production for Asia-Pacific, said AI had been used in multiple ways across streaming platform productions.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Lee stated that the technology was used to previsualize scenes prior to production, design production elements, experiment with set dressing ideas, edit scenes and create visual effects.
The discussion highlighted practical problems that AI can help address, particularly when budget and time constraints prevent filmmakers from making changes on screen. Yet, this does not mean that all the films mentioned here were created using AI.
One such case is ‘Glory’ by Netflix India that used visual effects of large crowds using AI technology.
South Korean filmmaker Kang Yoon-sung, known for directing ‘The Outlaws’, discussed how AI could make ambitious productions more financially feasible.
According to Kang, the use of AI in ‘The Gulf of Aden’ cut production costs by as much as 40%. AI could make filming easier, giving life to projects which would have otherwise been thought impossible given high costs.
Kang has also directed another film called ‘Run to the West’, a South Korean film where the application of AI was heavy, especially on compositing and creature creation.
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Despite the potential savings and technical advantages, the discussion also underscored AI's limitations. Filmmakers stressed that technological improvements alone cannot guarantee emotional depth or replace the creative decisions that shape a film.
AI-generated images may become increasingly realistic, but realism does not always translate into the emotional engagement audiences seek from films.
This topic was one of those discussed during the Busan Film Festival in relation to the general debate in the film industry regarding the use of AI in filmmaking.
Although the technology could lower costs, simplify workflows and improve visual effects, humans would still make the final creative decisions. The comments reflect Netflix’s position that AI should support, rather than replace, human creative judgment