Humans who effectively use AI—and not AI itself—will take over jobs, even in entertainment industry: Netflix co-CEO

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, the world has been abuzz with concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) might steal human jobs. While industries like tech, media, education, finance and law frequently top the “jobs at risk from AI” lists, the entertainment sector hasn’t gotten as much attention.

Given its inherently creative nature, the entertainment industry appears somewhat insulated from the AI threat. Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos shares this optimism, expressing his belief that Hollywood's creative jobs are likely to be safe from AI encroachment.

In a conversation with The New York Times, Sarandos explained: “I think that AI is a natural kind of advancement of things that are happening in the creative space today, anyway. Volume stages did not displace on-location shooting. Writers, directors, editors will use AI as a tool to do their jobs better and to do things more efficiently and more effectively. And in the best case, to put things on-screen that would be impossible to do.”

Sarandos drew parallels with the evolution of animation, pointing out the significant leap from hand-drawn to computer-generated animation, which now employs more people than ever.

He also recalled the initial resistance to home video, with studios refusing to licence movies to television for decades. Each technological advancement in entertainment has faced opposition but eventually spurred industry growth, and Sarandos believes AI will follow the same pattern.

Finally, addressing concerns about AI replacing creators, Sarandos said: “I have more faith in humans than that. I really do. I don’t believe that an AI program is going to write a better screenplay than a great writer, or is going to replace a great performance, or that we won’t be able to tell the difference. AI is not going to take your job. The person who uses AI well might take your job.”

Interestingly, Laurence Liew, director of AI Innovation at AI Singapore, echoed Sarandos' sentiments during a panel at Salesforce’s World Tour Essentials event in Singapore. He succinctly remarked: “AI is not going to replace you. You’re going to be replaced by someone who uses AI to outperform you.”

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, it seems likely that the technology will augment rather than replace human creativity in the entertainment industry. Could this partnership between human ingenuity and AI innovation lead to a new golden age in entertainment, where technology serves as a catalyst for even greater artistic achievements?