Netflix has confirmed it used generative artificial intelligence to create visual effects in one of its original series for the first time. Companies creating video AI models frequently propose collaborations with Hollywood studios, but Netflix has now moved from discussions to actual implementation. During the company’s second-quarter earnings call, co-CEO Ted Sarandos announced that the platform featured “the very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen” in the Argentine show. The streaming giant employed AI technology to produce a building collapse scene in the Argentine sci-fi series “El Eternauta” (The Eternaut).
Netflix’s internal production team worked with Eyeline Studios, a production innovation group, to create a complex visual effects sequence of a building collapsing in Buenos Aires for the post-apocalyptic series based on the acclaimed 1957 Argentine comic book. According to Sarandos, using AI allowed the team to complete the sequence 10 times faster than traditional methods. “The cost of it just wouldn’t have been feasible for a show in that budget,” he noted during the earnings call. Netflix underlined that AI is a tool to enhance creativity rather than replace human workers, with Sarandos stating, “This is real people doing real work using better tools.” Beyond visual effects, Netflix is incorporating generative AI into a variety of platforms. Earlier this year, Netflix introduced an AI-powered search feature for select iOS users in Australia and New Zealand.
“El Eternauta” is currently available globally on Netflix, featuring six episodes of the sci-fi series. The show’s success reportedly contributed $34 million to the Argentine economy back in May 2025. Netflix revealed impressive second-quarter earnings of 2025, with sales of $11.08 billion, a 16% increase over last year, and a profit of $3.13 billion. The business stated that customers viewed over 95 billion hours of material in the first half of 2025, with non-English titles accounting for one-third of total viewership.
