Image: Netflix
Netflix began a limited test Tuesday of AI Discover, a new TV-app tab that helps viewers find something to watch by choosing a mood, an occasion or the amount of time they have, rather than starting with a title.
The November 3 announcement applies to a small group of U.S. members using Netflix in English on supported TVs. Netflix plans to gradually give more people access over the coming weeks. It is not an all-subscriber launch, and viewers should not expect the tab to appear on every device today.
The test adds another route into the streaming service’s library alongside its existing recommendations, thumbs-up feedback and My List. Its first experiment groups viewing suggestions into themes, with artificial intelligence helping create those themes.
How the test works
Members with access can begin with choices such as “Something Light,” “Scare Me,” “Family Movie Night” or “Quick Watches.” Each theme has a preview clip, and choosing one brings up matching shows and movies.
From there, the app offers more specific themes to narrow the search. A “Something Different” option produces a fresh set of choices. Netflix says other themes may reflect what is new or popular, or what a member has recently watched.
Each title also has a “Tune Your Recommendations” button beside Play and My List. Viewers can use it to keep a recommendation or tell AI Discover not to suggest a particular title again. Netflix says the experience remembers that feedback within AI Discover.
The company describes a new intelligence layer that responds to members’ feedback in real time and continues learning. That is Netflix’s description of the system; the announcement does not provide evidence that it makes better recommendations than the existing service.
A test of discovery, not a change for everyone
For viewers, the practical change is a way to narrow the field by what fits the moment. A short watch, a family film and a quiet evening can lead to different choices even for the same person. The feature’s focus is finding something in the catalog, not creating new shows or movies.
For Netflix, the experiment tests whether a different way of presenting its library helps members find a title. TechCrunch, which also reported the launch Tuesday, described the tab as a shift toward discovery based on a viewer’s current mood.
Netflix calls AI Discover its “test kitchen.” It says usage and feedback will help decide which experiences to keep, change or introduce next, and that some could eventually become part of the main Netflix experience. That leaves both the test’s future features and any wider permanent rollout open.
Members included in the test can look for Discover in the top navigation of their TV app, marked with a red gem icon and a New label. Netflix’s announcement does not list every supported television model or set a date when all subscribers will receive access.
JBizNews Desk | New York
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