In a world where content reigns supreme, Netflix's global approach has changed the game.
Recent Hollywood strikes and technological advancements in the realm of artificial intelligence have thrown this streaming giant into the hot seat, testing the very core of its creative ethos and the employees under its reign.
At Fortune's Most Powerful Women conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on Tuesday, Netflix's chief content officer, Bela Bajaria, explored the role of technology and algorithms at the company, emphasizing that creativity, intuition, and storytelling are at the core of the business.
Bajaria mentioned that while technology and algorithms play a role in discovery and access, they don't determine content creation.
"There is not an algorithm in the world to tell you the next thing that’s going to actually connect and resonate with people," Bajaria said. "That's not what we do. It really is always a creative business. And we are an entertainment company, and I think it's amazing that we—with great storytelling coupled with, you know, really amazing quality subtitles and dubbing and with easy access and discovery—that sort of combination of those things is really an amazing thing."
Hollywood's intense AI debate
The convergence of AI technology and entertainment is a topic that continues to spark intense debates, specifically about how it'll affect the employment of creatives in Hollywood. Now that streaming platforms like Netflix continue to dominate the content landscape, the role of AI and its potential impact on the creative industry is a subject of increasing importance.
Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Max, and others have been at the heart of the AI conversation, and how the technology will affect writers, actors, and many more at the core of their business.
SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (WGA), unions representing American actors and screenwriters, just wrapped up historical 86- and 148-day strikes respectively, during wihch they argued, among many things, that AI will leave their members vulnerable.
SAG-AFTRA accused the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents major Hollywood studios, of potentially leaving actors vulnerable to digital replacements with the help of AI, while the AMPTP insists it will provide fair compensation and gain consent from actors, USA Today wrote. The WGA, on the other hand, seeks to explicitly prohibit AI from generating or altering literary material and using writers' work for AI training.
The discussion with Bajaria onstage Tuesday touched on the recent Hollywood strikes, with Bajaria congratulating the WGA on its ratification of an agreement and expressing the goal of getting writers back to work (while adding that negotiations with SAG-AFTRA are still ongoing).
"AI has always been a thing that we've talked about with all of the guilds," Bajaria said. "It's a really great tool for us in the hands of creators and when they want to use that for efficiency."
Netflix's strategy
Bajaria also spoke about how Netflix creates content tailored to different tastes and cultures, focusing on the creators' vision and authenticity.
She emphasized the importance of making local-specific and authentic shows rather than trying to make one-size-fits-all content (something that AI could be accused of doing).
"It's always about the creativity, right? It's always about working with writers and directors, having that relationship, having that trust building a relationship, and really supporting that vision," Bajaria said.
