Netflix has confirmed plans ramp up AI use at the company, with plans to expand its tools for subtitle localization and advertisement creation for its subscribers in 2026.
The streaming giant touched on its plans for the new year as part of the Q4 2025 earnings report published today. While some of its programming plans remain under wraps, the company says audiences can expect artificial intelligence to play a larger role in its content rollout in the months ahead.
Netflix’s doubling down on AI follows its experimentation with the controversial technology in 2025. Examples of planned internal tools include the creation of custom ads, subtitle localization, and merchandising, all of which subscribers can expect more of in 2026.
“We continue to harness AI to enhance the experience for our members, and we’re expanding these capabilities to support our creative teams and advertisers,” Netflix said. “In 2025, we began testing new AI tools to help advertisers create custom ads based on Netflix’s intellectual property, and we plan to build on this progress in 2026. We also introduced automated workflows for ad concepts and used advanced AI models to streamline campaign planning, significantly speeding up these processes.”
We continue to harness AI to enhance the experience for our members, and we’re expanding these capabilities to support our creative teams and advertisers.“
“In content production and promotion, we’re using AI to improve subtitle localization, making it easier for our titles to reach more viewers around the world. Additionally, we’re implementing AI-driven tools to help with merchandising, which improves our ability to connect members with the most relevant titles for them to watch.”
Custom ads have and will impact those in Netflix’s $7.99/month “Standard with ads” tier more than those in the Standard and Premium tiers, though how the company plans to “build” on AI use in this regard remains unclear. Subtitles generated with AI support, however, could affect every tier Netflix watcher, regardless of their subscription level.
The streamer’s interest in AI-generated content isn’t much of a surprise. Last May, it confirmed plans to integrate the technology into its midroll and pause ads by 2026. Just a few months later, the company commented on how viewers feel about artificial intelligence, saying that audiences “probably don’t care much about budgets, and arguably not even about the technology used to deliver it,” at the time.
Meanwhile, Netflix said today that it amassed an additional 23 million subscribers through 2025. With reporting from last January putting its total count at 302 million, today’s update has it at around 325 million.
For more on Netflix, you can check out our explainer on all of its available prices and plans. You can also see how its plan to purchase Warner Bros. could impact movie theaters in the future.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).