Finally, streaming services are getting AI features that make sense

Like it or not, AI is here to stay. To be fair, there are plenty of ways for it to improve our lives instead of hurting them. I’m not talking about generating entire essays for school or creating Studio Ghibli images, but things that are actually good. I’m talking about things like Nvidia’s DLSS that gives you better performance on PC games, and Netflix creating better algorithm functionality.

It’s still in its testing period, so a lot could change between now and then, but Netflix is trying out a new feature powered by AI that gives viewers recommendations based on their mood. For example, if it’s a rainy day, and you’re looking for something more mellow, you’d be able to find something on Netflix that fits that mood. On paper, it sounds like a perfect implementation of AI that only enhances something instead of detracting from it.

Far too often we see weird AI features that don’t really do a whole lot (like turning your dog into a human), so seeing something like this from Netflix is a nice change of pace. Netflix isn’t the only streamer adding in AI-powered features, and if other companies are able to keep it up, I think the future of the industry looks good, at least as far as streaming is concerned.

Netflix

Netflix is a global streaming service offering on-demand access to movies, TV shows, documentaries, and original content. Founded in 1997 as a DVD rental service, it transitioned to streaming in 2007 and now operates in over 190 countries.

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Netflix and Prime Video have used AI in a good way

I’m surprised to see it play out like this

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I don’t think search algorithms are in a bad spot on any streaming service, and they usually adapt pretty fast to my tastes. My Netflix algorithm does a good job suggesting new things for me to watch, and there aren’t many misfires, all things considered. That doesn’t mean there can’t be improvements, and this new mood testing is a good step forward. If you’re against AI, you can opt out of the service, so there’s no harm done there. I haven’t had the chance to test the new feature out myself considering it’s not available in the United States yet, but I can’t wait to give it a try and see what it cooks up.

Looking at a Netflix competitor, Prime Video is doing a good job of integrating AI into its streaming service too. As part of the new Alexa+ upgrade, Prime Video introduced a way to jump to specific scenes within a movie. An example of this would be asking it to jump forward to the shootout scene, and then it automatically places you in that part of the movie. It’s a good feature for when you want to show something to a friend or need to find your lost spot if you happen to get disconnected. On top of that, Alexa+ can also tell me the name of a song that’s playing, so it’s nice to have that feature at my fingertips instead of having to pause what I’m watching to search for it myself.

Features like these are exactly what I’m talking about when I say I’m excited about what the future of AI looks like. I don’t need something like ChatGPT to give me meme pictures or for Google to summarize search results with AI. Instead of that, I want things that make my daily experience better, and that’s what’s on display here. On paper, the Google AI results are a good idea, but when I find myself not being able to trust what’s being told to me, it defeats the purpose. Things will certainly improve in the future, but I’m not sold on that just yet.

Unfortunately, AI features like Netflix’s are few and far between. A lot of what I see from AI are things I have next to no interest in, and it makes me wonder if the wrong things are being prioritized. I hate to keep coming back to it, but the Studio Ghibli AI pictures make me wonder what we’re even doing. It’s fun to mess around with something like that for a day, but nobody is going to come back to that after the fad is over, and it feels like it was all for nothing. The features being baked into the streamers are far better because they’re things the average person will use, and they are something that can make your experience better instead of something that keeps you occupied for a few minutes before moving on.

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The bad outweighs the good… at least for now

Some promising signs

Amazon

Admittedly, I don’t like most of what I see from AI, but that’s part of what makes me praising it all the more strange. At first, I was a big AI hater and didn’t really see how it could improve anything. For the most part, that thought persists for me, but I’ve seen enough from Netflix, Prime Video, and some other companies that make me that leaves me cautiously optimistic.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s no reason for there to be so much stuff out there that just rips off artists. I don’t see value in that at all, and I’m not sure why companies keep focusing on that instead of cooler features like what we’re seeing from the streamers. If we could start focusing on things that improve the user experience, it’d be a huge step in the right direction. To clarify further, I don’t mean adding in things that summarize emails. If you need AI to summarize or reply to an email, then I fear you have bigger problems on your hands.

What I’ve noticed in my experience so far is that AI is at its best when it helps you make snappier decisions. This ranges from picking out your next book, finding a new movie, or answering an easy question. Almost everybody I know has used Siri or Google Assistant, and while it might not seem like it at first glance, these are AI-powered features that have taken a strong foothold in our day-to-day life. If companies keep prioritizing the little things like this, I see myself changing my tune on what the future of AI looks like. For right now, the bad outweighs the good, but I could have a whole new outlook in the coming years.

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