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AI is everywhere, from social media feeds to general AI slop, and increasingly in your streaming video entertainment.
In its quarterly letter to shareholders on Tuesday, Netflix pointed to the "significant opportunity" it sees in using generative AI, so get ready for yet more of it.
The streaming giant gave some examples it's proud of, like the de-aging of characters in the opening flashback scene of Happy Gilmore 2, and the preproduction work to explore wardrobe and set design ideas for Billionaire's Bunker. It also wants to use AI to try out new ad formats.
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"We're empowering creators with a broad set of GenAI tools to help them achieve their visions and deliver even more impactful titles for members," Netflix said in the letter.
Netflix also announced that it is beta testing a "conversational search experience" to let you use natural language to explore its catalog for movies and TV shows that might hit the spot.
The company kept up the cheerleading on its earnings call with analysts. "We're confident that AI is going to help us and help our creative partners tell stories better, faster, and in new ways -- we're all in on that," Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos said, per CNBC.
Sarandos added that AI can enhance the production of content, but "can't automatically make you a great storyteller if you're not."
Sensitivities about AI tools
Netflix's embrace of generative AI isn't happening in a vacuum. AI video generators are rapidly getting better and more commonplace, and Hollywood is coming to terms with AI. Copyright issues are a minefield, including in the creation of artwork.
Netflix is aware of the concerns and criticisms and addresses them in its guidelines for generative AI use. "Given the sensitivities surrounding the use of these tools and the evolving legal landscape, it is essential to act responsibly when employing generative workflows," the company noted.
But skeptics are leery about where Netflix is headed.
Alan Sepinwall, TV critic at What's Alan Watching?, says the uses of generative AI cited in the shareholder letter are an ill omen for both Netflix's audience and Hollywood's creatives.
"As a search or recommendation engine, AI is unreliable at best, wildly incorrect at worst," Sepinwall said in an email to CNET. "It's going to give people viewing suggestions that they'll hate."
It's no better as a creative tool, he said.
"Anybody looking to do something with even the faintest spark of originality -- and to give audiences something that doesn't feel like a faded version of something they've seen a million times before -- would do well to steer clear."
