Netflix has appointed a VP (vice president) of generative AI within its gaming division, indicating that the tech giant is serious about the controversial technology when it comes to video games.
The VP in question is none other than Mike Verdu, who confirmed the news via his LinkedIn page. Verdu says his new role at Netflix is to drive "a 'once in a generation' inflection point for game development and player experiences using generative AI".
Previously, Verdu worked as Netflix's overall games VP, but that role will now be filled by Alain Tascan, who Verdu says is "already in the process of taking Netflix Games in exciting new directions".
Verdu says that generative AI represents a return to "seemingly unlimited potential and the rapid pace of innvoation" in gaming, expressing excitement he says he hasn't felt "since the 90s".
He also exhorts readers to "pay no mind to the uninformed speculation in the media" about recent changes to Netflix Games, presumably referring to the reported closure of Netflix's in-house AAA development studio, codenamed Team Blue.
According to Verdu, everything that's happened within Netflix Games in the last several months "was actually a planned transition", suggesting that the closure of Team Blue wasn't a kneejerk response but a carefully-considered decision.
The vision for generative AI at Netflix, according to Verdu, is one that "puts creative talent at the center", uses AI as "a catalyst and an accelerant", and enables big development teams to "move much faster".
The topic of generative AI is a controversial one in the gaming world (and, indeed, the rest of the world) right now.
Proponents like Hasbro, Nihon Falcom, and Ubisoft tout the potential benefits of the technology and seem enthusiastic about the ways in which they believe it could change the gaming landscape, but there are certainly no shortage of ambivalent or skeptical voices in the industry on this front.
In any case, we don't know exactly how Verdu and Netflix intend to use generative AI, so we'll likely have to wait until a major project from the company is announced in order to learn more. Stay tuned!
