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Netflix has established guidance for using generative artificial intelligence in its content production. Per a blog post, the streamer has laid out five guiding principles, including:

The outputs do not replicate or substantially recreate identifiable characteristics of unowned or copyrighted material, or infringe any copyright-protected works

The generative tools used do not store, reuse or train on production data inputs or outputs

Where possible, generative tools are used in an enterprise-secured environment to safeguard inputs

Generated material is temporary and not part of the final deliverables

GenAI is not used to replace or generate new talent performances or union-covered work without consent

“If you can confidently say ‘yes’ to all the above, socializing the intended use with your Netflix contact may be sufficient,” the company wrote. “If you answer ‘no’ or ‘unsure’ to any of these principles, escalate to your Netflix contact for more guidance before proceeding, as written approval may be required.”

Areas that require written approval will include using Netflix’s proprietary data, personal information or third party material from artists, performers or other rights holders; generating key story elements such as main characters, visuals or fictional settings; referencing copyrighted materials or likenesses of public figures or deceased individuals; or making significant digital alterations to performances.

The guidelines for the streamer’s vendors and partners come after Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed during the company’s second quarter earnings call that it used generative AI in its production of “The Eternaut,” which premiered in April.

“In that production, we leveraged virtual production and AI-powered VFX. And there was a shot in the show that the creators wanted to show building collapsing of Buenos Aires,” Sarandos explained. “So our Eyeline team partnered with their

creative team. Using AI powered tools, they were able to achieve an amazing result with remarkable speed and in fact, that VFX sequence was completed 10 times faster than it could have been completed with visual — traditional VFX tools and workflows. And also, the cost of it just wouldn’t have been feasible for a show on that budget. So that sequence actually is the very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film.”

In addition to content, co-CEO Greg Peters said that Netflix has used AI in its personalization and recommendations for two decades and are rolling out a new conversational experience that will allow subscribers to search for titles using AI. Peters also sees an opportunity in advertising to increase the output of spots for brands over time using generative AI.