The
controversy over artificial intelligence in anime is reignited today. In its
fourth-quarter 2025 letter to shareholders, published on January 20, the
platform officially confirmed that Netflix uses AI for subtitles and
to support its creative teams. The stated goal is to "make it easier for our
titles to reach more viewers around the world."
Why does
Netflix use AI for subtitles and what does it mean for the industry?
The
document details that, in addition to automating advertising workflows, the
company is applying advanced models to improve localization. "In content
production and promotion, we are using AI to improve caption
localization," the report reads.
This comes
after a tense year. In 2025, Amazon Prime Video faced backlash
from fans for the use of AI dubbing in titles such as No Game, No Life
Zero, marginalizing real actors. Meanwhile, Crunchyroll has
maintained an ambiguous stance, admitting subtitling tests but denying their
use in the voice "creative process."
325
million subscribers and more anime
With 325
million paying users and a 2% increase in consumption, Netflix seems determined
to scale up its production. Considering its recent partnership with MAPPA,
the question that worries translators and fans is: will we soon see anime
translated 100% by algorithms?
