Last Thursday, during the release of Netflix's second quarter 2025 results, Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, confirmed the use of generative AI in The Eternaut, an adaptation of the famous Argentine comic book. A first for the platform in an original production.
For several years, Netflix has been heavily investing in automated post-production technologies: algorithmic recommendation, automatic translation, script analysis, A/B testing of thumbnails... But with The Eternaut, the platform is taking a step further by using GenAI for the first time in the creative process itself.
This mini-series, directed by Bruno Stagnaro, is the first screen adaptation of "El Eternauta", a science fiction comic published from 1957 to 1959 in the Argentine magazine Hora Cero. The story mixes alien invasion, deadly snow, and collective resistance in an apocalyptic Buenos Aires. Released last April, the series met with immediate success, and season 2 is currently in preparation.
GenAI was used by visual effects specialists to create the spectacular scene of a building collapse, and according to Ted Sarandos:
"With the help of AI-powered tools, they achieved an incredible result with remarkable speed. This visual effects sequence was completed ten times faster than it could have been with traditional tools and workflows."
He added:
"The cost of special effects without AI simply wouldn't have been viable for a series with this budget."
AI in the Service of Creation
As co-CEO of Netflix and representative of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), Ted Sarandos was directly involved in the final negotiations of the strike initiated by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) between May and September 2023, which notably addressed the regulation of AI use in content creation.
While he acknowledges the technology's potential to reduce costs and improve the quality of films and series, he also wanted to reassure, emphasizing that AI would not replace creators but assist them:
"These are real people doing real work with better tools. Our creators are already seeing benefits in production, in pre-shoot planning, and, of course, in visual effects. I believe these tools help creators expand storytelling possibilities on screen, and that's infinitely exciting."