Amidst ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) over concerns regarding the use of machine learning in film and TV productions, Netflix has announced its intention to hire an AI manager.
The streaming giant is looking to bolster its internal utilization of artificial intelligence, offering an eye-catching salary range of $300,000 to $900,000 for the position.
The job listing, initially reported by The Intercept, outlines the AI manager’s responsibilities, which include shaping the strategic vision for Netflix’s AI implementation through its machine learning platform. This platform aims to empower ML/AI practitioners across the company, making it easier for them to develop, deploy, and enhance their machine learning models for maximum impact.
While it remains unclear whether this role will directly influence content creation, Netflix is already known for using AI to personalize user recommendations and curate thumbnail art based on individual preferences.
The company has previously faced scrutiny for using AI to generate content, as seen with its Japanese division’s experiment with AI-generated background art for the anime short “The Dog and The Boy,” and its Spanish reality series “Deep Fake Love,” where deepfake videos were used to test committed couples.
Despite Netflix declining to comment on the job posting, it is evident that the company is actively expanding its AI-related positions. Apart from the AI manager role, Netflix is also hiring for positions like machine learning scientist, engineering manager for AI research on customer satisfaction, and a software engineer focused on building machine learning tools.
The decision to invest heavily in AI technology may raise concerns among striking SAG-AFTRA and WGA members who fear potential exploitation or displacement by these advanced systems.
