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Netflix search could soon get an AI boost, and it sounds like a boon

There’s a running joke in the streaming world. By the time you decide what to watch, the snacks are over, or the mood is gone. Netflix even launched a tool called “Play Something” to end the meaningless catalog scrolling. But an inherent part of the problem is also the platform’s bad search system. 

For years, users have complained about the algorithmic recommendation system’s tendency to repeat listings, while the lack of a proper sort and filter system only worsens the situation. The categories system, on the other hand, is quite overwhelming. 

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Thanks to AI, the search tool on Netflix could soon shed its bad reputation. According to Bloomberg, Netflix is testing an AI-powered overhaul of the search tool that will give users more freedom with their inputs in order to find films and TV shows of a certain type. 

What AI can change for Netflix search?

“The OpenAI-powered search engine lets customers look for shows using far more specific terms, including the subscriber’s mood, for example, the company said,” says the Bloomberg report. “It will then recommend options from the company’s catalog.”

Netflix launch in UK on iPad in 2012
Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Netflix has already started testing the AI-boosted search feature in Australia and New Zealand. A company spokesperson told The Verge that it will expand the beta testing program to the US market in the “coming weeks and months.”

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For now, the limited-scale testing of the updated search tool is limited to the iOS platform, and there is no clarity when, or if, it will expand to the web and Android client. Netflix, however, is no stranger to AI. 

On the contrary, the company maintains a public dashboard of how it is implementing Machine Learning technology across its entire service stack. Search is a crucial part of those endeavors. 

Why am I excited about it?

In a paper released back in 2022, the company detailed how it pays close attention to what users are clicking on and browsing at any given time. And more importantly, how much time they spend on any TV show or film. 

Based on these activity patterns, the underlying search system figures out the user’s interests at a certain moment, and accordingly shows suggestions within the search bar dropdown before you even start typing in the text field. 

The My Netflix section on the Netflix iOS app.
Jen Karner / Digital Trends

That approach sounds fantastic, but Netflix also makes it clear that it relies heavily on its in-house recommendation system to populate what you see in the search results. In a nutshell, the algorithm has a high degree of command over the entire search, instead of letting users take the lead. 

This is where AI, and its natural language chops, come into the picture. Instead of limiting users to search by names or genres, and then letting them scroll past a long list, they can simply narrate their mood or viewing requirements in the search field. 

Imagine having a back-and-forth with an AI and finding just the right thing to watch?

So far, my interactions with AI tools such as Gemini Live have been quite rewarding, and I wish Netflix offers a similar experience with its AI-charged search tool in the near future. For now, I am hoping AI will make it easier to find what’s new and soon-to-leave on Netflix, among other granular inquiries, as well.

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