Netflix Is Now Paying AI Experts Huge Sums Instead Of Actors
The Hollywood writers and actors under WGA and SAG-AFTRA are on strike, demanding better pay, increased streaming residuals, improved working conditions, and job security against the rise of AI technology, while entertainment giants like Netflix and Disney express a desire for quick resolutions. In contrast to their statements, The Intercept reports that these firms are heavily investing in artificial intelligence.
Recent job postings show Netflix is investing large sums of money into hiring AI experts.
While companies like Disney remain vague about their AI investments, two recent job postings by Netflix illustrate its deep commitment to incorporating AI extensively.
In one job posting, Netflix offers an impressive salary bracket of $300,000 to $900,000 for a product manager, aimed at enhancing the internal use of AI. The successful candidate will operate from the Los Gatos, California office or remotely on the U.S West Coast.
The role involves crafting a “strategic vision” for the company’s AI usage via its machine learning platform, enabling ML/AI practitioners across Netflix to maximize their work’s impact by streamlining development, deployment, and improvement of their machine learning models.
Netflix, in a separate job advertisement, is also searching for a technical director for generative AI in its R&D (Research and Development) tech lab, attached to its gaming studio.
Generative AI, capable of generating text, images, and video from provided data, is essential for original content creation and can also be utilized for other tasks such as advertising. This differs from older AI models known for features like algorithmic recommendations or genre tagging.
As of now, there’s an air of uncertainty as to whether these Netflix roles focused on AI will exert a direct influence over the creation of content. The streaming giant has long since employed artificial intelligence as a key tool in its operations.
The platform harnesses AI to individualize recommendations for users based on their viewing history and preferences, and even to handpick visually enticing thumbnail art, adding a personal touch to the user interface.
Moreover, AI is not just a superficial tool for Netflix; it plays a more profound role in the form of analyzing the success rate of various content available on the platform.
Generative AI, capable of generating text, images, and video from provided data, is essential for original content creation and can also be utilized for other tasks such as advertising.
In light of the ongoing WAG and SAG-AFTRA strikes, where protection against artificial intelligence progression is a key demand, there’s no denying that Netflix’s AI-focused job postings are insensitive. There’s a concern among actors that AI might exploit their scanned likeness without providing them fair compensation. Meanwhile, entertainment writers are apprehensive that AI programs, such as ChatGPT, may supplant their craft.
AI Generated Streaming Content
Netflix has shown openness to the concept of AI-generated content in the past. This was evident when it faced backlash earlier this year after its Japanese division used AI to create background art for an anime titled The Dog & the Boy.
The company also encountered criticism for its Spanish reality show Deep Fake Love, where deepfake videos were used to depict partners in committed relationships cheating on one another.
As major entertainment corporations such as Netflix intensify their investment in AI technologies, Hollywood writers and actors have valid concerns regarding job security. While some actors are not entirely against AI, seeking more control and compensation for their digital likenesses, others wholly oppose its use.
This demonstrates that the path towards a mutual understanding between entertainment companies and their talent regarding AI use could be a long one.
