Netflix’s secret AI studio INKubator is hiring fast, with plans to produce animated shorts using generative AI.
Thibault Penin / Unsplash
Netflix has spent years using AI to make sure you never leave the couch. Making AI-based content is the next step, I guess.
The streaming giant is staffing up a new internal studio called INKubator to produce animated short films and specials using generative AI (via TheVerge).
The project never got an official announcement from Netflix. Instead, it surfaced through a series of recently published job listings seeking producers and CGI artists. These listings paint a pretty clear picture of where the company is headed.
What exactly is INKubator, and who is running it?
Based on LinkedIn profiles, INKubator quietly launched in March 2026 and is led by Serrena Iyer, who previously held strategy and operations roles at DreamWorks Animation, MRC Studios, and A24 Films. That is not a lineup you put together for a throwaway experiment.
The job listings describe the studio as a next-generation, creativity-first operation built entirely around generative AI. The studio’s long-term technology strategy covers generative AI workflows, artist tooling, and scalable multi-show environments.
Interestingly, INKubator is not the first AI studio to be acquired by Netflix. Earlier this year, the streaming giant acquired InterPositive, an AI startup founded by actor Ben Affleck, which is centred on AI usage in post-production.
Could AI-generated shows end up in your Netflix feed?
For now, INKubator seems to be focused strictly on shorts and experimental animated specials, rather than full-length features. That said, the job listings hint at longer-form ambitions down the line.
Netflix recently added a TikTok-style vertical video feed called Clips in its mobile app, which is currently used for trailers and promotional content. AI-generated shorts could slot naturally into that space in the future.
Netflix has also been making a push into kids’ programming, positioning itself as a family-friendly YouTube alternative. It also launched a standalone app for kids called Netflix Playground. Generative AI could surely help it scale that kind of content much faster.
Whether you are ready for AI-made Netflix shows or not, INKubator suggests the streamer has already made up its mind.
Manisha Priyadarshini is a tech and entertainment writer with over nine years of editorial experience.
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