# AI Won’t Replace Storytellers, Says Netflix’s Ted Sarandos — But It Might Save Your Favorite Show’s Budget

URL: https://technosports.co.in/ai-wont-replace-storytellers-says-netflix/  
Published: 2026-08-07  
Updated: 2026-08-07  
Author: Reetam Bodhak

Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos just gave one of his most detailed breakdowns yet of how the streaming giant actually thinks about AI — and it’s far more nuanced than the usual hype or panic. Speaking during a wide-ranging interview in New Delhi to mark Netflix’s 10th anniversary in India, Sarandos made one thing clear: AI is a tool for filmmakers, not a replacement for them.

## AI Behind the Scenes, Not Center Stage

Sarandos revealed that Netflix has already used AI tools across roughly 300 recent productions, mostly for pre-visualization — helping directors plan complex or dangerous shots safely — and for speeding up post-production and VFX work. But he was firm that cost savings alone isn’t the point. If AI doesn’t make the final product better, he said, it simply doesn’t matter.

## The “Interpositive” Fix for Hollywood’s Reshoot Problem

One of the most interesting reveals was Netflix’s investment in a specialized AI tool called Interpositive, developed in partnership with Ben Affleck. Reshoots and pickups can eat up to 20% of a production’s budget, often requiring rebuilt sets and actors flown back after they’ve physically changed for another role. Interpositive is trained only on a specific film’s own footage, allowing filmmakers to generate quick pickup shots without breaking immersion — functioning, as Sarandos put it, like a highly targeted visual effect.

## Why 100% AI Content Doesn’t Work — Yet

| Key Point | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| AI Use Cases | Pre-visualization, VFX, reshoot fixes |
| Productions Using AI | ~300 recent Netflix titles |
| Cautionary Data Point | A Chinese micro-drama company saw a 70% engagement drop after going fully AI-generated |
| Sarandos’s Core Advice | Use AI only where it clearly improves the business, not for its own sake |

Sarandos pointed to a telling case study: a major Chinese micro-drama company that shifted to fully AI-generated content saw audience engagement collapse by 70%. His takeaway was that people watch content to either escape or connect emotionally, and something about fully AI-made storytelling currently falls short on both fronts.

Netflix’s approach reflects a broader industry debate playing out across Hollywood, where studios are weighing efficiency gains from generative [artificial intelligence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence) against concerns about creative authenticity and job displacement.

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[Video](https://www.youtube.com/embed/cHWDM8g-Z7k?feature=oembed)

### FAQs

### **Does Netflix use AI to generate entire shows or movies?**

No — Netflix uses AI mainly for pre-visualization, VFX, and reshoot fixes, not for generating full storylines or content.

###    **What is Netflix’s Interpositive AI tool?**

It’s a tool developed with Ben Affleck that generates quick pickup shots using only a specific film’s own footage, cutting reshoot costs.