Netflix has introduced updated guidelines for its production partners on how generative AI can be used in shows, films, and other media on its platform. The rules, published last week in its Partner Help Center, aim to balance creative exploration with legal, ethical, and union considerations.
The company emphasized that its top priorities are protecting personal data, safeguarding creative rights, respecting performers and union rules, and ensuring audiences can trust the final product.
“At Netflix, we see these tools as valuable creative aids when used transparently and responsibly,” the company said.
Standards for AI Use
Netflix says AI use in content must not replicate copyrighted works, must avoid storing or reusing production data, and cannot replace union-covered performances without consent. It also requires AI-generated material to be temporary unless specifically approved.
Industry Backlash and Prior Uses
Netflix’s relationship with AI has drawn controversy. In 2024, the company confirmed it had used AI-generated elements in the true crime documentary What Jennifer Did. Earlier this year, it admitted to replacing traditional VFX work with AI tools in The Eternaut, a post-apocalyptic series. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos praised the approach, saying it was “ten times faster” than traditional methods, marking the first time generative AI footage appeared in a Netflix original.
The company is also exploring AI-generated advertising, which could appear in its lowest subscription tiers.
Author’s Opinion
Netflix’s attempt to formalize rules for generative AI shows it knows the backlash isn’t going away. But calling AI just a “creative aid” feels like a half-measure when the company is already using it in final products. The danger is that Netflix risks eroding trust with both audiences and creators if these guidelines are treated more like a checklist than a real safeguard.
Featured image credit: Dima Solomin via Unsplash
For more stories like it, click the +Follow button at the top of this page to follow us.