Netflix is reportedly testing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in content production. The California-based streaming giant uses Runway AI's video tools, but it's not clear how much capacity the company uses AI tools. The report comes days after the company's CO-CEO in a revenue call stated that the video generated by AI is being used in Show The Eternaut. Apart from Netflix, Walt Disney is reportedly testing AI tools on the runway for production houses.
According to a Bloomberg report, Netflix is beginning to use runway AI tools to produce content. Citing an unnamed person familiar with the issue, the report argued that the streaming giant is currently just testing whether the AI company's video generation software is suitable for Netflix's production workflow.
The report didn't mention whether Netflix was planning to use technology to generate an entire scene or whether it was considering it to reduce VFX costs. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the runway AI tools will be used in post-production and editing tasks.
Apart from this, Walt Disney is another studio testing the runway video generation tool. Bloomberg argued that it is also debating the possibility that the company will use technology from a New York-based AI company. However, the same source told the publication that Walt Disney is not planning to integrate AI software into content production workflows.
The AI-generated tools slowly head towards a studio in Hollywood. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recently admitted to using AI video for Eternaut, highlighting it's faster and cheaper than traditional VFX. In particular, Netflix did not use Runway's AI tools for the show, the report says. Amazon's House of David is another show that uses AI video models from the runway to generate frames in a particular scene.
As Hollywood opens up to the AI-powered video generation, many actors and writers continue to protest against the inclusion of technology in filmmaking. Last year, Writers Guild of America (WGA) urged major studios and Netflix to take immediate legal action against companies that “trained AI systems using their members' work.”
