Over the years, Netflix has fundamentally altered the landscape of entertainment consumption for fans. It convinced TV viewers to ditch the cords with its massive stash of films and series. But lately, the platform has been catching the heat for heightened subscription costs and the removal of cherished content from its offerings. In the midst of this love-hate affair between fans and the streaming juggernaut, Netflix has just dropped another bombshell bound to raise some eyebrows. 

This time, however, the impact will be felt more acutely within the organization rather than among its subscribers, as the multi-billion dollar company is on the verge of a massive restructuring. 

Recently, Netflix became the latest media and tech behemoth to announce layoffs. Deadline revealed a "major restructure" unfolding within Netflix, leading to the layoff of 15 employees from its film division. Insiders also confirmed that the announcement was made by Netflix's new film studio chief, Dan Lin, on Monday morning. This reported restructuring comes shortly after Dan Lin assumed leadership of Netflix's film division. Under this new organizational structure, Netflix's movie department will be divided by genre, with bosses assigned to oversee each major category. 

Ori Marmur will take charge of action, fantasy, horror, and sci-fi; Kira Goldberg will be responsible for thrillers, drama, and family films; Niija Kuykendall will oversee young adult, holiday, and faith-based movies; while Jason Young will lead the comedy and rom-com team at Netflix. No specific individuals were named for the layoff. However, sources told Deadline that there could be potential replacements. Nonetheless, one can be certain that AI will not be stepping in to fill the roles of the departing employees. 

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Last month, Netflix's CEO shared his take on the whole "Will AI replace humans" discourse, offering a comforting reassurance to all members of the company. 

The discussion on AI's influence in Hollywood heated up following the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes last year. These unions advocated for contractual measures to shield traditional human-led storytelling from AI interference. Ted Sarandos addressed this issue during his appearance on the SiriusXM podcast Literally! with Rob Lowe in March of this year.

Sarandos confidently stated that although AI can serve as a useful tool for creators, it lacks the genuine human touch that truly engages audiences. The 59-year-old referenced Netflix's popular series Squid Game as a prime example. The raw, human-centric storytelling of the series that gripped viewers globally was something that is unlikely to be ever replicated by AI. While AI may not replace Netflix employees, the significant layoffs could still stir dissatisfaction.

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What do you think about this new development within Netflix? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!