Netflix's AI Job Posting Stirs Up More Tension

Under the cloud of ongoing Hollywood strikes, Netflix stirs the pot with its search for an AI specialist, offering a whopping $900k salary, further fueling discontent among striking actors and writers.

Netflix's recent job advertisement for an AI expert to join its Machine Learning Platform team has sparked outcry from Hollywood unions currently on strike. The team behind this posting is responsible for fine-tuning the algorithm that suggests content to Netflix viewers. The offered salary of up to $900,000 per annum has only exacerbated the uproar.

The Hollywood strike is rooted in concerns about the increasing influence of AI on the entertainment industry and its impact on wages. The job posting was initially reported by The Intercept on Tuesday, and is one among several listed on Netflix's job page requiring expertise in machine learning and AI.

The exact nature of the role remains unclear, as the extensive job advertisement does not explicitly state whether it will impact content decisions, namely what TV programs and films Netflix opts to finance. However, another job listing for a product manager on the Machine Learning Platform team implies the role will involve the use of AI in assessing funding allocations for different programs, a contentious issue for the actors' union, Sag-Aftra.

Fran Drescher from Sag-Aftra expressed concerns to Time magazine about the growing influence of algorithms in the industry, asserting their significant impact on series' lengths and seasons. This, she argues, systematically marginalizes their profession.

Similarly, the Writers' Guild of America (WGA) advocates for the regulation of AI in the writing process to prevent its use as source material.

Despite declining to comment on the job listings, Netflix has previously assured that AI will not take over the creative process, affirming the importance of original and insightful stories.

However, striking actors aren't placated, especially when an earnings of $26,470 is needed to qualify for health insurance benefits. Actor Rob Delaney, in conversation with The Intercept, described the salary for the AI role as "ghoulish". Writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach also criticized Netflix for their high-value recruitment efforts amid claims of financial constraints.

The discontent emerged as Netflix launched its new app, My Netflix, designed to provide users with a personalized, one-stop entertainment shop.