Netflix normalizes Artificial Intelligence for visual effects, leaving traditional animation methods behind - a move that deeply saddens me
Netflix's Argentinian sci-fi series, "El Eternauta," has made headlines for its innovative use of AI in creating a building collapse sequence. This move towards AI-generated visual effects (VFX) in film and series production has sparked a discussion about its potential consequences on quality, creativity, and job displacement.
The use of AI offers cost and speed advantages, enabling the production of highly realistic and detailed special effects that might otherwise be cost-prohibitive. However, some industry voices warn that AI-driven VFX may result in work that feels static, banal, and less original due to its reliance on existing content without true innovation. There's a risk of a "race to the bottom" where costs are prioritized over quality.
AI tools also offer new avenues for experimentation, especially for newcomers by lowering barriers. However, veteran artists worry about a "wholesale dehumanization" of the creative process, fearing AI may trap audiences in repetitive, algorithm-driven content cycles. AI currently struggles with replicating complex emotional nuance and coherent storytelling needed for human drama, which limits its creative reach despite success in stylized genres like sci-fi or fantasy.
The impact of AI on employment is significant. With its efficiency, fewer crew members may be needed, as demonstrated by Netflix's use of AI for a VFX building collapse sequence to reduce costs. This "hollowing out" trend threatens experienced professionals whose skills may be undervalued or bypassed in favor of faster AI alternatives. However, for beginners, AI can provide new creative tools and opportunities that were previously less accessible.
Other considerations include ethical and legal questions, especially around AI-generated recreations of deceased actors and full AI-generated film sequences, which may further complicate the industry's creative and employment landscape.
Netflix's co-chief executive, Ted Sarandos, stated that this use of AI represents an opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper. The use of AI by Netflix was primarily due to cost-effectiveness, as traditional VFX "wouldn't have been feasible for a show in that budget."
The use of AI, as seen in AI-driven advertising and machine-generated music, is already having consequences across the industry, leading to content that lacks soul and individuality. The quirks and idiosyncrasies that make individual VFX artists and studios distinctive may be smoothed away in favor of efficient, predictable mediocrity.
The use of AI in visual effects may lead to a visual monoculture that is both depressing and predictable. The use of AI in visual effects may result in content that looks technically proficient but feels spiritually vacant. The use of AI is expected to lead to increased homogenization, with every explosion, creature, and impossible landscape bearing the same algorithmic processes.
Cost-cutting on VFX can lead to reduced audience engagement and revenue, ultimately harming the quality and financial success of a show. The use of AI in visual storytelling is not effective in making shows stand out in an infinite scroll of content. The use of AI may result in the replacement of human creativity with computational expedience, potentially dismantling complex creative ecosystems and automating jobs held by VFX artists who have spent decades mastering their craft.
The use of technology to replace human creativity, as opposed to enhancing it, may lead to a less rich and fulfilling entertainment industry. The use of AI in visual effects by Netflix, as in the series "El Eternauta," may be detrimental to the overall quality and success of the content produced. The shows that invest serious money and creative energy into their visual worlds, such as The Penguin, Severance, and The White Lotus, dominated this year's Emmys, emphasizing the importance of human creativity in the entertainment industry.
- AI tools, like those used in Netflix's series "El Eternauta," offer new avenues for experimentation, but some fear a "wholesale dehumanization" of the creative process.
- The quirks and idiosyncrasies that make individual VFX artists and studios distinctive may be smoothed away in favor of efficient, predictable mediocrity.
- The impact of AI on employment is significant; for beginners, AI can provide new creative tools and opportunities, but the "hollowing out" trend threatens experienced professionals.
- The use of AI in visual storytelling is not effective in making shows stand out in an infinite scroll of content; shows that invest in their visuals, like The Penguin, Severance, and The White Lotus, dominated this year's Emmys.
- The use of AI in visual effects may lead to a visual monoculture that is both depressing and predictable, with content looking technically proficient but feeling spiritually vacant.
- The creative industry is facing ethical and legal questions, especially around AI-generated recreations of deceased actors and AI-generated film sequences, which may further complicate the industry's landscape.
- AI-driven VFX may result in work that feels static, banal, and less original due to its reliance on existing content without true innovation, according to some industry voices.
