Netflix Executive Says AI Has Touched Around 300 Productions While Stressing Human Creativity
Netflix production executive Sung Q Lee said at the Busan International Film Festival that AI has been used on roughly 300 of the company's titles. He listed applications such as previsualization, set design, editing and visual effects, while arguing that human creativity must remain central. The panel also featured director Kang Yun-sung and Wētā FX CTO Kimball Thurston, who discussed how AI might help filmmakers with smaller budgets.
At Busan, Netflix’s Sung Q Lee said AI has figured in roughly 300 company titles. He cited uses including previsualization, production design, early set-dressing planning, editing, and visual effects. The panel, part of Netflix’s Creative Asia event with the Busan festival and co-hosted by the MPA, also included Wētā FX CTO Kimball Thurston and director Kang Yun-sung.
Kang co-directed Run to the West with Kwon Han-seul, described as Korea’s first fully AI-assisted feature; it earned about $100,000 amid criticism of its AI visuals. He is now making The Gulf of Aden with China’s Kling AI and estimates about 40 percent savings, partly from a streamlined shoot. Speakers stressed that people must remain central to creative choices.
The shift could affect film workers, especially VFX artists, editors, production designers, and lower-budget filmmakers. If AI lowers costs, smaller productions may access ambitious visuals, but crews may face changing job demands and audiences may question authenticity. Netflix’s scale could normalize such tools, while the panel’s emphasis on people-led creativity may shape industry norms. How regulators, unions, and viewers respond may determine whether benefits spread broadly.