The AI Revolution Reshaping TV Production
Netflix just shattered the traditional TV production playbook. The streaming giant has achieved a first in television history by integrating generative AI into visual effects for “The Eternaut,” an Argentine sci-fi series. This isn’t just some minor tech experiment. They’re fundamentally changing how TV gets made.
Netflix’s AI breakthrough with “The Eternaut” isn’t just innovative—it’s rewriting the entire rulebook for television production.
The AI was used to create a spectacular building collapse sequence set in Buenos Aires. Pretty impressive stuff. What’s really turning heads isn’t just the visuals themselves, but how they were produced. The scene was completed roughly ten times faster than it would have taken using conventional VFX methods. Ten times! That’s not an incremental improvement—it’s a revolution.
Money talks in this business, and AI is speaking volumes. These high-impact visual effects would normally bust the budget of a mid-tier international production like “The Eternaut.” Instead, Netflix managed to create cinematic-quality scenes without breaking the bank. Using hybrid AI approaches, they’ve achieved significant cost savings while maintaining artistic quality.
They’re quick to point out this isn’t about replacing humans with algorithms. It’s about stretching limited resources further. Netflix’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos has been crystal clear about the company’s stance during the Q2 earnings call. This is about “real people doing real work with better tools.”
The AI didn’t work in isolation—it was a collaboration between Netflix’s VFX team and local Argentine creatives. Technology supporting humans, not replacing them. At least that’s the official line. The company is also planning to implement interactive ads powered by AI technology later this year.
The impact extends far beyond a single collapsing building in Buenos Aires. This marks a pivotal moment for the entire streaming industry. Netflix has established a benchmark that competitors will scramble to match. The question isn’t if other services will follow suit, but when.
For viewers, this means more bang for their subscription buck. Shows can now deliver blockbuster moments that previously would have been impossible on TV budgets. For production teams, it’s a new world of possibilities—and challenges.
What Netflix has accomplished with “The Eternaut” is just the beginning. They’ve proven AI can serve as a powerful tool in the creative arsenal when paired with human expertise. The streaming wars just gained a new battlefield.
And Netflix fired the first shot. Who would have thought Argentina would be ground zero for TV’s AI revolution?
