Netflix is introducing AI Discover, a new feature on its TV app that recommends films and series through themed prompts. The initial rollout begins Nov. 3 for a limited number of subscribers in the United States who use Netflix in English on supported smart TVs.
Prompts include categories such as “Something Light,” “Scare Me,” “Family Movie Night” and “Quick Watches.” Netflix says recommendations are generated in real time using a member’s viewing history and preferences, alongside what is trending on the service.
Users can browse suggested titles, select more specific themes or choose “Something Different” to see another set of recommendations. Each title also has a “Tune Your Recommendations” option, allowing viewers to keep a recommendation or ask Netflix not to suggest it again. The interactive feature is not a chatbot and will not be available on kids’ profiles.
Eligible viewers will find a “Discover” tab, marked with a red gem icon and a “New” label, in the TV app’s top navigation bar. Netflix plans to bring the feature to more customers and regions in the coming weeks.
Netflix has used machine learning and AI to personalize recommendations for years, but says AI Discover is its first customer-facing feature explicitly branded as AI-powered. The company describes it as an experiment and says it will use customer feedback to decide what to improve or incorporate into the main Netflix experience.
The feature runs on what Netflix calls a new intelligence layer that responds to members’ input in real time and continues learning. The company says that if a viewer indicates a recommendation is not suitable, AI Discover will remember that feedback and avoid repeatedly showing it.
Sources: Variety.