Netflix just pulled back the curtain on something that’s been quietly reshaping Hollywood—and frankly, it’s about time. The streaming giant publicly confirmed using generative AI to create a complex building collapse sequence in their Argentine sci-fi series *The Eternaut*, marking the first time they’ve admitted to using AI for final video content that actually makes it to your screen.
Ten Times Faster Than Your Favorite Marvel Movie
Here’s the kicker: what traditionally takes VFX teams months to complete happened in a fraction of the time. Netflix‘s AI-powered approach delivered the destruction sequence roughly ten times faster than conventional methods, while slashing costs dramatically. Think of it like having Instagram filters, but for exploding buildings and at Hollywood production scale.
Co-CEO Ted Sarandos was refreshingly direct about the motivation: “We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper.” That’s a carefully crafted message aimed at critics who watched the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes unfold over exactly these concerns.
Your Streaming Experience Is About to Get Weird(er)
Netflix isn’t stopping at building demolitions. The company’s roadmap reads like a sci-fi checklist: AI-powered content discovery that responds to voice commands, automated multilingual dubbing, and region-specific advertising that generates itself. They’re essentially building a content machine that adapts to you faster than you can say “Are you still watching?”
The Eternaut building collapse was only possible because AI made it affordable on the show’s budget. This democratizes advanced VFX for smaller productions—suddenly, indie creators can afford explosions that previously required Marvel-sized budgets.
The Creative vs. Cost Calculation
Labor groups aren’t buying the “enhancement” narrative entirely. The same technology that makes spectacular visuals accessible also threatens traditional VFX jobs. Netflix’s timing is deliberate—they’re positioning this as creative empowerment rather than cost-cutting, but the math speaks for itself.
Your next Netflix binge will likely include more AI-generated content than you realize. Whether that enhances storytelling or homogenizes visual style remains the billion-dollar question that’ll define entertainment’s next decade.
