Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 7 hrs ago
Netflix says AI has been used on about 300 titles
Netflix has used artificial intelligence in different ways on about 300 titles, a senior production executive said at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.
The tools have been used for planning shots, designing sets, editing and visual effects.
Korean director Kang Yoon-sung said AI could reduce production costs for his film The Gulf of Aden by about 40%, partly by simplifying filming and shortening production time.
He said lower costs could make projects possible that might otherwise be dropped.
Kang also acknowledged that AI can reduce the discussion and shared work that are part of filmmaking.
Netflix executive Sung Q Lee said technology can help filmmakers make a story, but people still decide what stories to tell and how to convey emotion.
The speakers described AI as a tool to support filmmaking, not replace human creative judgment.
Netflix has used artificial intelligence in various ways on about 300 titles, a senior production executive said at an industry event in Busan.
The executive said AI has been used in previsualization, production design, set-dressing concepts, editing and visual effects.
Filmmaker Kang Yoon-sung said AI workflows could reduce production costs for his film The Gulf of Aden by around 40 percent.
Speakers said AI could help filmmakers work within limited budgets, while emphasizing the importance of human creative judgment.
- Who
- Netflix production executive Lee and filmmaker Kang Yoon-sung spoke at the event, alongside Wētā FX technology chief Kimball Thurston.
- What
- Netflix said AI had been used on about 300 titles. Kang said AI could cut production costs for The Gulf of Aden by around 40 percent.
- When
- At an industry discussion during the Busan International Film Festival. The articles were published on October 10 and 11, 2026.
- Where
- Busan International Film Festival, Busan, South Korea.
- Why
- The discussion examined AI tools and their potential uses in film production, including under budget constraints.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
But the question that matters to me isn’t, ‘How much AI can we put into this title?’ but, ‘What more can this title do with AI’s help?’
When we calculated how much we’d save on ‘The Gulf of Aden’ for fundraising, it came to an actual reduction of around 40%.
The human touch is critical and necessary.
So the quality of the footage AI makes is very high, but when it comes to delivering emotion and moving audiences, I think we’re in a period where it has actually gotten worse.
Kang’s film Run to the West opened in Korean cinemas, according to Variety.
Kang made an entirely AI-generated test clip for The Gulf of Aden using Kling, according to Variety.
Variety and The Hollywood Reporter published accounts of the AI discussion at the Busan International Film Festival.
- Netflix titles
- About 300 titles have used AI in various ways.
- AI applications
- Previsualization, production design, set-dressing concepts, editing and visual effects.
- The Gulf of Aden
- Kang’s film in production, which uses generative AI tools from China’s Kling AI.
- Estimated savings
- Around 40 percent of The Gulf of Aden’s production costs, according to Kang.
- Run to the West
- Billed as Korea’s first feature to use AI across its entire production, according to Variety.
Sources
You've already ingested AI-generated content, boasts Netflix exec
Netflix Has Used AI on About 300 Titles, but “Human Touch Is Critical,” Exec Says in Busan
AI Can Cut Film Budgets by Up to 40%, Says ‘The Outlaws’ Director Kang Yoon-sung, as Netflix Reveals Use on 300 Titles: ‘A Human Touch Is Absolutely Essential’
Related news
Shane Gillis accidentally swears during live SNL sketch
‘Blade Runner 2099’ trailer reveals a mystery in a world ruled by replicants
Crazy Rich Asians to return as an eight-episode HBO series
‘Starfleet Academy’ season 2 set for March 2027, adds Bill Nighy and Rosemarie DeWitt
Gail Lerner Fired From NBC Sitcom ‘Newlyweds’ Before Its Premiere
Jimmy Kimmel’s Costume Designer Rodney Muñoz Dies at 60
Jac Schaeffer to Develop a New Stargate Series for Amazon
SNL sketches Hegseth pitching a livestreamed execution to USS Lincoln crew
New Kuruk series announced as Avatar: Seven Havens gets two more seasons
Triple H says LA Knight emerged stronger after losing to Roman Reigns
Iain Armitage and Co-Stars Reflect on the Demands of Young Sheldon
