The Decision
Fuji Television announced, according to a report by Asia Nikkei relayed by IT之家, its intention to introduce generative artificial intelligence tools in all live-action scripted productions starting in October 2027. If the plan is confirmed, the broadcaster will become the first major Japanese commercial broadcaster to use AI systematically in its programming. The network produces 16 scripted series a year; use of Google's Nano Banana image-generation and editing tool will be assigned to the in-house AI Sandbox lab, created in September, with support from computer graphics designers trained by television production company ANDENT.
The choice to internalize the expertise responds to a stated economic concern: Shinya Masaki, head of technical and art design, explained that assigning AI production to external suppliers could have driven up costs, hence the decision to develop it in-house.
The Production Model
The described workflow involves training the AI in a local environment with previously shot material, generating scenes through text prompts, and a post-production refinement phase for elements such as color tone. AI would also be used during the ideation phase and after the start of filming, as a complementary option to live-action scenes and traditional visual effects.
Fuji TV has already tested the technology in the currently airing medical drama 'Kyumei Byoin 24-ji'. In the first episode, a surgical incision scene with blood was generated by AI, whereas in the past it required visual effects or real liquids. Also in the new series, an explosion that would have required aerial filming with a helicopter was created as an AI-generated overhead shot. According to the broadcaster, the use of AI makes it possible to eliminate 70–80% of the work compared with traditional visual effects.
Quality and Verification
The strategic production leadership specified that adoption will be assessed case by case based on the quality of the finished product, with the stated goal of making the world depicted in the series credible. It is therefore not established that AI will replace all work, nor are the criteria by which the result will be measured known.
The context is a decline in television advertising revenue. In 2025, the five major Japanese commercial broadcasters combined spent 365.7 billion yen on program production, 12% less than nine years earlier: Fuji TV hopes to maintain quality despite reduced budgets. TBS and Nippon TV are also reportedly pursuing similar plans, according to the material. Still to be verified are the actual extension to all 16 annual scripted series, the costs of the in-house infrastructure, and the impact on production times, which for now is indicated only as a goal.
