Netflix wants subscribers to spend less time deciding what to watch and more time actually watching. The streaming platform is testing a new feature, AI Discover, which will recommend films and shows based on what users feel like watching, whether they want something funny, scary or simply short
The company announced the feature on Tuesday, 3 November. It is being tested with a small group of subscribers in the US who use Netflix in English on supported TVs.
AI Discover will appear as a new tab on the Netflix TV app. Users can choose from options such as “Something Light”, “Scare Me”, “Family Movie Night” and “Quick Watches”, each with a short clip from a film or show. They can then narrow down the recommendations further, or choose “Something Different” if nothing appeals to them.
There’s also a “Tune Your Recommendations” button beside “Play” and “My List”, which lets subscribers keep a suggestion or tell Netflix not to recommend it again.
Netflix’s recommendation algorithm has been a big part of the platform for years. In 2017, Wired reported that more than 80 per cent of shows people watched on Netflix came through its recommendations.
But even with its recommendation system, Netflix has been finding it harder to keep people watching. In October, Bloomberg reported that subscribers were opening the app less often and spending less time watching than they did a few years ago. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos has also said that viewership in the US isn’t growing as quickly as the company would like.
Netflix has previously tried different ways to help subscribers find something to watch. In 2021, it introduced Play Something, a shuffle feature that automatically picked films and shows based on a subscriber’s preferences. It was discontinued in 2023. Last year, the company began testing an AI-powered search feature on iOS that allowed people to describe what they wanted to watch in everyday language.
Netflix plans to make AI Discover available to more subscribers in the US over the coming weeks. It hasn’t announced when the feature will be available in India.
(Edited By Raunaq Lekhi)