Netflix has positions on artificial intelligence and other regulations, Larry Tanz, vice president of content for EMEA, explained at the Enders TMT Leaders Live conference in London on Thursday.
Highlighting the company’s investment in the British film and TV industry, Tanz said Netflix had filmed in more than 225 cities and towns across the UK since 2016. “We are an additive to that local industry,” not a global powerhouse that ends up putting its revenues in a “black box” back in the US but reinvesting in more local programming. He promoted such visits as Adolescence and Reindeer babySaying that they and others have had huge success in Britain and have also become global phenomenons.
“We don’t accept the argument that Netflix is just a passerby. We are part of this industry,” Tanz concluded.
The rise of user-generated programming, increasingly generated by AI, and potential regulation focused on AI and investment themes, pose potential risks, he said, suggesting that regulation may one day “dictate not only how much we invest, but also what we make.”
Tanz warned that Netflix “would not be encouraged to take risks on new and emerging voices in the case of one-size-fits-all regulation.” That could shift all opportunities to “major media groups,” private equity groups and sovereign wealth funds, he said. People in the room read that as a reference to the likes of Paramount Skydance, which outbid Netflix for Warner Bros.’ Discovery in a deal financed with the support of sovereign wealth funds.
“Let us not sleepwalk” toward such a future, he concluded. “The UK has prospered because many routes to the market have been opened,” which benefits many producers, including small local producers, he added.
Tanz’s statements came after that Peaky Blinders At SXSW London 2026 on Monday, creator Steven Knight backed political calls in the UK for global broadcasters to contribute to the UK production sector, given the content they create in the country. Last year, a parliamentary committee recommended a 5% tax on UK subscriber revenues on foreign streaming companies, including Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+ and Disney+, to help fund the production of British dramas. Netflix rejected this, saying the goal should be to “incentivize investment and success rather than punish investment and success.”
“The problem for me is: they come here, they produce huge productions,” which is “great” for job creation in the British sector, Knight said. “But they keep all the profits. I just feel like there’s a conversation to be had. It’s not.” [a] tax. It’s a two-way street.
He suggested that streamers could “leave” a certain percentage of money in the country to help keep the production infrastructure and success alive and well. “If you were to come in and take advantage of what we have, maybe 1 percent or 2 percent financially is something left over that helps us sustain that,” Knight said. He did not specify whether this should be a percentage of revenues or profits.
Tanz concluded his appearance at the conference on Thursday by emphasizing the need to put in place regulation without “accidentally penalizing” entrepreneurship and opportunity.
On the subject of artificial intelligence, he praised Netflix’s belief in copyright protection and approval of digital replicas, among other fundamental principles, describing the streamer’s approach as “cautious.”
“AI is an evolution of the tools we already know, but it is not a replacement for human creativity,” Tanz said. “Our North Star is, and always will be, quality driven talent. We win when we have the best TV shows and movies, and stories that resonate deeply with audiences, but that connection comes from the script, the performances, the direction, and the chemistry on set. In other words, the human elements of the storytelling.”
“Any new technology, including artificial intelligence, must pass a basic test for us: does it help creators create better stories and make them easier for audiences to find,” he added.
So, what about regulating AI? “We are very clear about some principles,” Tanz said in London. “As rights holders, we care deeply about fair copyright compensation, and believe that existing frameworks backed by strong contracts can adapt to new technologies. We also recognize the importance of consent for photorealistic digital replicas, and we build that into how we work with talent, from post-production to helping people discover work they might love.”
Tanz’s conclusion: “We are exploring areas where AI can help, but we need to make sure we do so carefully and transparently, and in a way that supports human creators rather than replaces them.”
This led him to ask a long-standing question: How did the television industry change Netflix? “I’m proud to say that this has made us more local, more responsible, and more ambitious about what this industry should be,” Tanz concluded.
