On July 3, 2025, Netflix reached a symbolic milestone: for the first time, the platform integratedgenerative artificial intelligence technology into the creative process of one of its original series.
The initiative, still in its experimental phase, does not involve the script or dialogue, but rather certain visual elements generated by an AI image generator.
It reignites an already heated debate in the creative world: to what extent can the imagination be automated? If generative AI makes its way into editing rooms, what will remain of the artist’s touch? And above all: how will professions, rights, and culture adapt to this growing algorithmic presence?
The series involved in this experiment is titled *Let’s Be Evil* (Season 2), a science-fiction animated series with a stylized aesthetic. Netflix has confirmed that it used a generative AI model—likely based on Stable Diffusion oran equivalent—to generate backgrounds, textures, and partial set elements in order to reduce production time without replacing human animators¹.
\n\n\n\nThe creative team oversaw every step, making manual adjustments to the generated results. As a result, AI was not used as a substitute, but rather as a tool for accelerated visual prototyping.
\n\n\n\nGenerative artificial intelligence can be applied in several areas of visual and audio creation:
\n\n\n\nBut its use is still limited: AI alone cannot create a coherent work, either in terms of dramaturgy or artistic direction. It acts as a catalyst or an assistant, never as the primary creator.
\n\n\n\nNetflix’s initiative raises several potential implications for creative professions:
\n\n\n\nBut it also raises concerns: a decline in visual quality, a dilution of artistic identity, and economic pressure on small teams.
\n\n\n\nThe use of AI-generated images raises several sensitive issues:
\n\n\n\nNetflix isn't alone. Other studios are testing AI to:
\n\n\n\nBut the official introduction of generative AI into a widely broadcast series marks a paradigm shift.
\n\n\n\nThis requires a rethinking of education, regulation, and governance in the field of audiovisual production:
\n\n\n\nThis initial use by Netflix could set a precedent. In the future, AI could assist humans in writing, music, and directing—or, if poorly regulated, it could stifle creative diversity in favor of standardized formats.
\n\n\n\nThe issue, therefore, is not merely technological, but also cultural and ethical:
Do we want AI that enriches human creativity, or one that eventually replaces it without a word?
1. Netflix Used Generative AI for an Animated Series – The Verge, July 3, 2025
https://www.theverge.com/2025/07/03/netflix-generative-ai-animation-series\n
2. Stability AI Accused of Using Copyrighted Images – Ars Technica, 2024
\nhttps://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/05/stable-diffusion-faces-lawsuit-over-training-data/\n
On July 3, 2025, Netflix reached a symbolic milestone: for the first time, the platform incorporated generative artificial intelligence technology into the production process of one of its original series.
\nThe initiative, which is still in the experimental phase, does not involve the script or dialogue, but rather certain visual elements generated by an AI image generator.