Netflix has applied artificial intelligence technology to roughly 300 titles across various production stages, according to Sung Q Lee, the streaming service’s senior director of production for Asia-Pacific. Speaking at the company’s Creative Asia event during the Busan International Film Festival, Lee outlined how the technology is being integrated into previsualization, production design, editing, and visual effects work. However, Lee stressed that the approach focuses not on maximizing AI usage but on determining how the technology can enhance individual projects.
The panel discussion, co-hosted with the Motion Picture Association, included Korean filmmaker Kang Yun-sung and Wētā FX chief technology officer Kimball Thurston. A significant portion of the conversation centered on AI’s potential benefits for filmmakers operating with constrained budgets, though panelists repeatedly underscored the importance of maintaining human creative judgment in the process.
Kang has become a notable advocate for AI-assisted filmmaking. He previously co-directed Run to the West, described as Korea’s first fully AI-assisted feature film, which earned approximately $100,000 at the box office amid critical reception focused on its AI-generated visuals. Undeterred, Kang is currently producing an action film titled The Gulf of Aden, which incorporates generative AI tools from Chinese platform Kling AI. The director estimates this AI-assisted methodology could reduce production costs by around 40 percent, with savings coming from streamlined shooting processes and reduced production timelines, in addition to VFX and CGI efficiencies.
The discussion revealed differing perspectives between Hollywood and Asian content sectors, with the former expressing caution about AI while the latter largely views it as an opportunity. Netflix’s Lee contextualized AI within the film industry’s history of technological evolution, noting that while new tools improve production methods, they do not determine why stories must be told. He emphasized that conveying human emotion ultimately requires human involvement. Wētā FX’s approach similarly positions AI as an assistive tool that streamlines repetitive tasks while preserving creative intent rather than reshaping it.
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