Netflix Bans AI on Blue Eye Samurai, Blue Spirit Executive Says

Netflix does not allow Blue Spirit to use artificial intelligence in the production of its projects for the platform, according to the studio's chief creative officer, Charles Beirnaert. Blue Spirit is the animation studio behind Blue Eye Samurai, and Beirnaert said the restriction applies to the studio's Netflix work, as reported by cbr.com.

Beirnaert said AI is not intended to replace animators, and that he would change jobs if every animator were replaced. He also estimated that AI could save up to 1 million euro on a standard 8 million euro production.

Despite the Netflix restriction, Beirnaert said Blue Spirit is experimenting with generative AI on future projects. He cited a conventional CG show whose pilot, he said, an individual replicated with AI at lower quality than the 20-person team's three-month effort.

Season 2 and the wider AI debate

Blue Eye Samurai Season 2 is set to debut on Netflix on January 19, 2027. The series first launched on Netflix in November 2023 as a hybrid of 2D and 3D animation.

AI use in anime production has drawn scrutiny before. In 2023, Netflix Japan was criticized for platforming Wit Studio's anime short The Dog and the Boy, which used AI for background illustrations, and Wit Studio has since admitted to using AI in the Season 4 opening of Ascendance of a Bookworm. Netflix has partnered with Wit Studio for a One Piece anime reboot scheduled to debut in February 2027.