While AI adoption in Hollywood and gaming faces resistance, exemplified by SAG-AFTRA strikes over AI job impacts, Netflix has negotiated protections to address these concerns.

Netflix currently offers over 120 games to subscribers and plans to expand its gaming portfolio, aiming to grow beyond its modest current investments.

Netflix plans to extend AI use beyond gaming, including AI-generated interactive advertising in 2026 and utilizing AI for visual effects to reduce costs in original series.

Despite high salaries and strategic investments, Netflix has faced industry layoffs and internal studio closures, highlighting financial pressures amid its ambitious AI initiatives.

Netflix is heavily investing in generative AI to revolutionize its gaming division, with a focus on creating innovative in-game features, new gameplay experiences, and scalable solutions.

The company is actively recruiting a Los Angeles-based Director of Gen AI for Games, offering a salary between $430,000 and $840,000, reflecting its significant commitment to AI-driven game development.

Netflix aims to develop its own big-budget video games by leveraging generative AI technology, signaling a strategic shift in its gaming ambitions.

Netflix’s broader gaming efforts include hiring industry veterans like Mike Verdu as VP of Game Development in 2021 and launching an in-house studio in 2022, which was later closed without releasing any games.

Current Netflix gaming projects include launching Smart TV games and testing a cozy MMO called Spirit Crossing, which blends elements of Animal Crossing and Studio Ghibli, though the company has moved away from pursuing AAA blockbuster titles.

Following the departure of VP Mike Verdu earlier this year, Alain Tascan has taken over to focus on narrative, party, and mobile games, continuing Netflix’s emphasis on AI in gaming.

Netflix’s commitment to AI in gaming is part of a broader strategy that includes shutting down some studios and emphasizing AI as a future technology for game development, as previously articulated by Mike Verdu.

The job posting underscores the importance of understanding when and how AI adds real value to gaming experiences and shaping broader AI adoption strategies across Netflix.

CEO Ted Sarandos supports AI technology, believing it can cut production costs, and Netflix has already used AI to produce scenes in its TV shows, indicating a strategic push towards AI integration.

Candidates for the new AI gaming director role are expected to have at least 10 years of industry experience and a deep understanding of the entire game development lifecycle.