Netflix has issued a threat against generative artificial intelligence, saying such technology could adversely affect its operations and its ability to compete effectively with other companies.

In its annual report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the streaming giant said new technological developments, including the development and use of generative artificial intelligence, are advancing rapidly.

“If our competitors gain an advantage through the use of such technologies, our ability to compete effectively and our results of operations may be adversely affected,” the company said.

Netflix further said that the use or adoption of emerging technologies “may increase our exposure to intellectual property claims, and whether AI-generated material can obtain copyright and other intellectual property protection is uncertain.”

It’s still early days for entertainment created by generative AI, but things could change soon.

A recent Wall Street Journal article noted that widely used artificial intelligence tools can suggest storylines, character arcs, and dialogue. ChatGPT can even write basic scripts when given some prompts.

Generative artificial intelligence was used to create the 2022 movie Everything Everywhere All at Once.

According to reports, there are already generative AI systems that can create videos. AI is also being used to provide data-driven predictions of how unusual storylines will impact audiences.

In May last year, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) launched a strike over the income that film and television writers receive from programming on streaming services, demanding that production companies “regulate material produced using artificial intelligence or similar technologies.”

(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is published by IANS, the associated news agency)