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Amid the Hollywood strike -- with both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA demanding regulations on how the studios use AI -- the streamer is investing in the growth of its AI team.
As SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) are on strike -- with one of the main points being over how studios want to use artificial intelligence -- it looks like Netflix is shelling out some serious dough into growing their team of AI practitioners.
We're talking a lot of money.
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View StoryThe streamer has listed a Project Manager position for their Machine Learning Platform (MLP), with the job posting noting that Netflix will offer up to $900,000 for the position.
"We are creating a new Product Management role to increase the leverage of our Machine Learning Platform," the job listing reads.
The Netflix MLP program is explained on the streamer's research page, with Netflix writing in part, "Historically, personalization has been the most well-known area, where machine learning powers our recommendation algorithms. We're also using machine learning to help shape our catalog of movies and TV shows by learning characteristics that make content successful. We use it to optimize the production of original movies and TV shows in Netflix’s rapidly growing studio."
Netflix's job posting comes amid the Hollywood strike -- with both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA demanding regulations on how the studios -- aka the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) -- use AI.
SAG and AMPTP cannot agree on specific details regarding compensation and consent, with the actors union wanting to be involved in individual uses of AI, a sticking point for AMPTP.
The WGA, meanwhile, has concerns regarding how AI could impact their credits or residuals. The union has stated that it will allow the use of artificial intelligence as a tool to help writing, but only if it won't affect their writing credits.
In fact, it was Netflix itself that recently used AI technology as a story point for the dystopian sci-fi series Black Mirror. A Season 6 episode -- which was released last month -- featured a Netflix-like streamer using artificial intelligence to use the likeness of actress Salma Hayek without her consent.
Actor Rob Delaney -- who is one of the stars featured in the ensemble cast of the episode titled, "Joan Is Awful" -- spoke to Intercept regarding Netflix posting the AI Project Manager position -- and offering a giant salary -- while Hollywood is striking.
"So $900k/yr per soldier in their godless AI army when that amount of earnings could qualify thirty-five actors and their families for SAG-AFTRA health insurance is just ghoulish," Delaney said. "Having been poor and rich in this business, I can assure you there's enough money to go around; it’s just about priorities."
