Netflix Reportedly Testing Runway’s AI Video Tools in Content Production

Netflix is reportedly testing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in content production. As per the report, the California-based streaming giant is using Runway AI’s video tools, but it is not clear in what capacity the company is using the AI tools. The report comes just days after the company’s co-CEO stated in an earnings call that AI-generated videos were used in the show The Eternaut. Apart from Netflix, Walt Disney is reportedly also testing waters with Runway’s AI tools for its production house.

According to a Bloomberg report, Netflix has begun using Runway AI’s tools in content production. Citing an unnamed person familiar with the matter, the report claimed that the streaming giant is currently just testing whether the AI firm’s video generation software will be suitable for Netflix’s production workflow.

The report did not mention whether Netflix was planning to generate entire scenes using the technology or was looking at it to bring down its VFX costs. Additionally, it is also not known whether Runway’s AI tools would be used in the post-production and editing tasks.

Apart from this, Walt Disney is reportedly another studio which is testing Runway’s video generation tools. Bloomberg claimed that the company has also discussed the possibility of using the New York-based AI firm’s technology. However, the same source also told the publication that Walt Disney does not plan to integrate the AI software into its content production workflow.

AI-generated tools are slowly making their way towards Hollywood studios. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos recently admitted using AI videos for The Eternaut, highlighting how it was both faster and cheaper than traditional VFX. Notably, Netflix did not use Runway’s AI tools for this show, the report stated. Amazon’s House of David is another show where Runway’s AI video models were used to generate frames in certain scenes.

As Hollywood opens up to AI-powered video generation, many actors and writers continue to protest the inclusion of the technology in filmmaking. Last year, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) urged major studios and Netflix to take immediate legal action against any company “that has used our members’ works to train AI systems.”