I tested Tubi’s new ChatGPT app and it leaves something to be desired
I tested Tubi’s new ChatGPT app and it leaves something to be desired
AI might eventually solve streaming’s content discovery issues, but I don’t think we’re there quite yet.
Taste is incredibly subjective. What is a masterpiece to one person is garbage to another. That is one of many reasons streaming services have struggled mightily to figure out the puzzle that is content recommendations. Unlike in days gone by, when changing the channel still kept viewers in the same cable or satellite ecosystem, if someone gets bored with what they are watching on a streaming service today, they are exponentially more likely to close it and find something more entertaining to watch on another service altogether. And, the more often you exit one service in favor of another, the more likely you are to cancel your subscription to the now-closed streamer.
That is why content discovery is one of the primary focuses for every streaming service. The ability for users to quickly and easily find something new to watch that they will actually enjoy leads to higher engagement and platform satisfaction. Streamers have long employed computer learning to aid in their recommendations, but this week, Fox-owned free streaming service Tubi took that idea in a slightly different direction by becoming the first streaming platform to launch an app on ChatGPT.
Now, admittedly, I am an AI sceptic and use it as sparingly as possible, but, in the interest of helping out The Streamable’s readers, I went through the process and tested out this new app to see how helpful ChatGPT would be in helping pick TV and movie titles for me to stream.
Everything you need to know about Tubi’s ChatGPT app
How to use Tubi’s app on ChatGPT
I did not know this going in, but apparently ChatGPT has a number of apps that you can integrate into your chats with the ever-evolving robot overlord. It allows the AI to have more complete access to information found in various places across the internet, like your Google Docs, Photoshop, Instacart, Spotify, TripAdvisor, Zillow, and more.
Unlike apps on a smartphone or tablet, there is no downloading required. Instead, you simply need to connect the app in question to ChatGPT, and it will have additional insight into the Tubi library
On desktop
- Open ChatGPT
- Click “Apps” on the left sidebar
- Search for “Tubi”
- Click the selection
- Click on “Connect”
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On mobile
- Open the ChatGPT app
- Tap the “+” button next to the prompt bar
- Tap “Explore Apps”
- Search for Tubi
- Tap Connect
Once you connect ChatGPT to the Tubi App, it will also ask you whether or not you want the AI to use information from your previous chats to inform its decisions to your streaming questions. You have the option to decline, and ChatGPT does caution that using apps can increase risk to your data. So, use it with caution.
However, I imagine that the folks who are most likely to turn to ChatGPT for movie recommendations will appreciate the added insight that the algorithms can provide based on the types of things they have asked about in the past. Just be forewarned about what that can mean.
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I asked ChatGPT for the best Movies on Tubi
Once I had connected to the Tubi app, I asked ChatGPT, “What are the best movies on Tubi?” Keep in mind that you need to make sure that you include Tubi in your query, or ChatGPT will just give you the best options from all platforms.
ChatGPT’s list of best movies on Tubi:
In total, the AI gave me 24 films, broken down into six different categories, with some appearing on multiple lists.
Here are the categories that ChatGPT gave, as well as the parenthetical commentary it provided as well:
- “Start here” (the absolute best)
- Crowd-pleasers & rewatchables
- Indie & A24-type hits (Tubi’s sneaky strength)
- Horror (where Tubi REALLY shines)
- Classic & older masterpieces
- International gems
The movies ChatGPT recommended were:
Of that list, I had seen eight of the movies suggested (I’m more of a TV guy than a cinephile), but some of them were hidden gems that I have loved for decades. However, in order to get a list more tailored to my interests, I asked it to give me a list of the top five movies specifically for me to watch based on what it knows about me from previous chats.
Unfortunately for ChatGPT, there really wasn’t a ton for the machines to go on. My queries are few and far between and are generally limited to hard-to-pin-down sports statistics, confusing AP Style Guide questions, and math problems that are far beyond my very limited numerical understanding.
ChatGPT’s list of best movies on Tubi specifically for me:
Here is the list ChatGPT spit out for me, including the explanation as to why it chose each movie:
No. 1: Moneyball
“This is basically your worldview in movie form—data vs. old-school narratives, inefficiencies, and calling out ‘poppycock’ thinking. You’ll appreciate how it frames analytics not just as numbers, but as a philosophy.”
Moneyball
The story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to put together a baseball team on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.
No. 2: There Will Be Blood
“You tend to like dominance narratives + elite performance at the highest level (your OSU takes, your ‘best team in the country’ arguments). This is that energy, just in oil form. Also incredibly well-written if you’re thinking in editorial voice.”
There Will Be Blood
Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview, moves to oil-rich California. Using his son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday suspects Plainview’s motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.
No. 3: Almost Famous
“Feels like a sportswriter movie without being about sports—access, storytelling, relationships with subjects, and the tension between fandom and journalism. This one hits differently if you’ve ever covered a beat.”
Almost Famous
In 1973, a precocious 15-year-old aspiring rock journalist lands a dream assignment from Rolling Stone to tour with a rising rock band, embarking on a coming-of-age journey as he discovers the exhilarating and heartbreaking realities behind rock stardom.
No. 4: Memento
“You clearly enjoy structure, angles, and framing (your editing/rewriting requests make that obvious). This is a movie built on how you tell a story, not just what happens—you’ll appreciate the craft.”
Memento
Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife’s killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he’s going, or why.
No. 5: A League of Their Own
“You’ve got a soft spot for sports history + narrative weight + clean storytelling. This is one of the best ‘sports as culture’ movies ever, and it’s incredibly rewatchable.”
A League of Their Own
As America’s stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up in the Midwest, funded by publicity-hungry candy maker Walter Harvey. Competitive sisters Dottie Hinson and Kit Keller spar with each other, scout Ernie Capadino and grumpy has-been coach Jimmy Dugan on their way to fame.
From there, ChatGPT threw in an honorable mention that it described as “very ‘you’.” Apparently, based on the AI’s response, this movie isn’t available to everybody, which I am glad it told me, because I checked, and it does not show up for me.
Honorable mention: The Big Short
“If it’s on Tubi in your region, this might actually jump to #1 for you. It’s basically Moneyball for finance, with sharper edge and more overt ‘calling out the system’ energy.”
In fairness, I have seen five of those six movies, and have either really liked or even loved them all (and it was right, “Moneyball” is my favorite amongst them, but that has far more to do with my fondness for the more data-driven non-fiction book which it is based on).
Looking at the movies and explanations that ChatGPT supplied, I’m not going to lie, I kind of like the picture the AI has of me: a journalist who both loves data and storytelling, while sticking it to the man. I don’t know if that’s exactly accurate, but I will take it.
I asked ChatGPT for the best TV shows on Tubi
As I said before, I am far more of a TV-lover than I am a movie-fan. Don’t get me wrong, I also enjoy movies, but if given the choice, I would far prefer to invest in eight to 12 hours of plot and character development than just 90 to 120 minutes. So, I then pivoted to asking ChatGPT about TV shows.
My first question, like with the movies, was about the best titles on Tubi for anyone, not me specifically. And let me tell you, the results were more than a tad underwhelming. I don’t think that is really ChatGPT’s fault; it’s just that Tubi’s library is more heavily weighted to the film side of the ledger.
ChatGPT’s list of best shows on Tubi:
Like with movies, the AI gave me a fairly long list to start with. Its initial pass included 17 series in six categories. They were:
- The “start here” tier
- Easy, comfort comedy
- Mystery / crime / drama (Tubi’s strength)
- Reality / competition / lifestyle
- Underrated / hidden gems
- Animated (very accessible)
The shows ChatGPT recommended were:
Now, I’m not going to lie, there isn’t much there for me. Sure, I could watch old episodes of “Dick Van Dyke” for the nostalgic vibes, but beyond that, and maybe one of the British shows, there aren’t many options on that list that I am interested in; no offense to Gordon Ramsey.
So, as I did with the films, I asked ChatGPT to generate a list of five TV recommendations specifically for me. Unfortunately, the somewhat flattering opinion that the AI had of me when it came to movies did not translate into as successful of a list of TV shows as I would have hoped.
ChatGPT’s list of best TV shows on Tubi specifically for me:
Here is the list ChatGPT gave me, including the explanation as to why it chose each show:
No. 1: The First 48
“This is basically film study for real life—patterns, decision-making, cause/effect.
You’ll appreciate how much of it comes down to early-game execution (the ‘first 48 hours’)—very similar to how you think about games being won early.
👉 Perfect background show while writing.”
The First 48
The First 48 follows detectives from around the country during these first critical hours as they race against time to find the suspect. Gritty and fast-paced, it takes viewers behind the scenes of real-life investigations with unprecedented access to crime scenes, autopsies, forensic processing, and interrogations.
No. 2: Kitchen Nightmares
“This is low-key a systems failure show disguised as reality TV. Bad management, inefficiency, denial—then a teardown and rebuild.
It’s basically:
‘Why this team/program is broken’
followed by a halftime adjustment
👉 You’ll watch this like a weekly column topic”
Kitchen Nightmares
Chef Ramsay attempts to do the impossible: turn one ordinary and empty restaurant into the most popular, sought-after venue in town. There’s no time for polite small talk as he embarks on his mission to turn around the fortunes of each restaurant in just one week and save them from their living nightmares.
No. 3: Hell’s Kitchen
“More competition-driven than Kitchen Nightmares, and very results + performance focused.
You get:
clear metrics (who performs, who doesn’t)
pressure situations
leadership dynamics
👉 Think: depth chart battles + coaching decisions”
Hell’s Kitchen
Aspiring restaurateurs brave Ramsay and his fiery command of the kitchen as he puts the competitors through an intense culinary academy to prove they possess the right combination of ingredients to win a life-changing grand prize.
No. 4: Forensic Files
“Super efficient storytelling—no fluff, just process and results.
You’ll like how every episode is:
problem → data → solution
It’s basically the Adj. EPA/Play of true crime shows—clean, respected, to the point.”
Forensic Files
Real crimes, disease outbreaks and accidents around the world are solved by experts using scientific laboratory analysis which helps them find previously undetectable evidence. Brilliant scientific work helps convict the guilty and free the innocent.
No. 5: Columbo
“This one’s sneaky perfect for you.
You already know who did it—the fun is how the system breaks them down.
It’s:
methodical
analytical
quietly dominant
👉 Very ‘12-dimensional chess’ energy”
Columbo
Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.
I have never felt less seen in my life. No offense to folks who love true crime and cooking shows, but that just isn’t me… although I have been known to enjoy a baking show or 12. But, come on, calling “Forensic Files” the “Adj. EPA/Play of true crime shows” is one of the weirdest attempts at making a connection I have ever seen.
For those of you not deep in the weeds of football advanced analytics, Adj. EPA/Play is a very nerdy stat that calculates your “expected points added” for every play of a game, and then adjusts it based on your opponent(s). Essentially, it is the gold standard in terms of efficiency statistics and often an indicator of a team’s greatness.
Now, I have never watched “Forensic Files,” but no matter how scientific and efficient those crime scene investigators are, this is still an absolutely wild comment for ChatGPT to make.
I gave ChatGPT some more information
Since I realized that my lack of previous interactions with ChatGPT was possibly hindering its ability to accurately identify titles that would appeal to me, I opened up my Entertainment spreadsheet (yes, I have an Entertainment spreadsheet) and gave the algo a solid injection of data.
I fed the AI the list of my favorite movies, TV shows, books, plays, and musicals to see if that would help give it a better chance of combing through Tubi’s vast library to pick titles specifically for my tastes.
Strictly for scientific purposes, here are my (current) lists of favorites:
Movies
TV Shows
Plays
- “August Osage County”
- “Fences”
- “Machinal”
- “Our Town”
- “Uncle Vanya”
Musicals
- “Hadestown”
- “In the Heights”
- “Legally Blonde: The Musical”
- “Oklahoma”
- “RENT”
- “SIX”
Books
- “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley
- “The Home of the American Circus” by Allison Larkin
- “In Five Years” by Rebecca Serle
- “Native Son” by Richard Wright
- “Shark Heart: A Love Story” by Emily Habeck
- “Starter Villain” by John Scalzi
ChatGPT’s top 10 recommendations specificaly for me
With all of that additional insight into my tastes and preferences, here is the list of titles that ChatGPT gave me, along with its explanation as to why:
No. 1: Coherence
“Your perfect overlap of Arrival + The Leftovers + LOST.
High-concept, intimate, and morally/psychologically messy.
👉 This is the most ‘you’ thing on Tubi”
Coherence
Four couples gather for dinner the night a mysterious and powerful comet passes overhead.
No. 2: Sorry to Bother You
“Feels like:
Do the Right Thing (social voice)
South Park (satirical bite)
Hadestown (heightened, theatrical metaphor)
Bold, weird, and saying something every second.”
Sorry to Bother You
In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success – which propels him into a macabre universe.
No. 3. Magnolia-adjacent pick: Short Cuts
“Huge ensemble, interwoven lives, emotional collisions.
If you love Magnolia, this scratches that exact itch.”
Short Cuts
Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy’s grandfather tells his son, Howard, about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy’s birthday cake.
No. 4: The Conversation
“Rear Window + The Leftovers tone.
Isolation, surveillance, guilt—quiet but devastating.”
The Conversation
A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.
No. 5: Paris, Texas
“This is basically Rectify as a movie.
Slow, humane, emotionally devastating in a restrained way.”
Paris, Texas
A man wanders out of the desert not knowing who he is. His brother finds him, and helps to pull his memory back of the life he led before he walked out on his family and disappeared four years earlier.
No. 6: Fences
“You already love the play—this adaptation delivers the performances and language.
Pure writing + acting, no shortcuts.”
Fences
In 1950s Pittsburgh, a frustrated African-American father struggles with the constraints of poverty, racism, and his own inner demons as he tries to raise a family.
No. 7: Another Earth
“If Our Town met Arrival.
Cosmic premise, deeply intimate execution.”
Another Earth
On the night a duplicate Earth is discovered in the solar system, the lives of a young woman and an accomplished composer become tragically connected after a fatal accident.
No. 8: Oldboy (2003)
“This is your ‘August: Osage County but as a thriller’ pick.
Operatic, shocking, morally intense.”
Oldboy
With no clue how he came to be imprisoned, drugged and tortured for 15 years, a desperate man seeks revenge on his captors.
No. 9: Heathers
“Stylized, theatrical, biting.
Feels like Machinal + Legally Blonde + South Park energy.”
Heathers
A girl who halfheartedly tries to be part of the “in crowd” of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics: by killing the popular kids.
No. 10: Reservoir Dogs
“You love Pulp Fiction—this is the stripped-down, stage-play version.
All tension, dialogue, and character.”
Reservoir Dogs
A botched robbery indicates a police informant, and the pressure mounts in the aftermath at a warehouse. Crime begets violence as the survivors — veteran Mr. White, newcomer Mr. Orange, psychopathic parolee Mr. Blonde, bickering weasel Mr. Pink and Nice Guy Eddie — unravel.
As it has done before, ChatGPT also gave me some honorable mentions:
Honorable Mention: The Worst Person in the World
“Structured, chaptered storytelling (you’ll love the form)
Emotional + introspective (Rectify / In Five Years lane)”
The Worst Person in the World
The chronicles of four years in the life of Julie, a young woman who navigates the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path, leading her to take a realistic look at who she really is.
Honorable Mention: Dog Day Afternoon
“Pressure cooker + systems breakdown
Feels like The Bear meets Native Son”
Dog Day Afternoon
Based on the true story of would-be Brooklyn bank robbers John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Sonny and Sal attempt a bank heist which quickly turns sour and escalates into a hostage situation and stand-off with the police. As Sonny’s motives for the robbery are slowly revealed and things become more complicated, the heist turns into a media circus.
My final thoughts on the Tubi ChatGPT app
As someone who makes a living putting words together, I am admittedly more than a little suspicious of (and probably angry about) the unceasing creep of AI into every aspect of our day-to-day lives. So I was predisposed to being resistant to trusting the technology, so factor that in to what I have to say here.
To me, the results were exceptionally hit-or-miss. In some cases, they seemed like incredibly solid recommendations: I have put “Coherence,” “Short Cuts,” and “The Conversation” on my to-watch list.
Others felt kind of obvious; if I tell you “Fences” is one of my favorite plays, of course, you are going to recommend that I watch the movie version. Similarly, every fan of “Pulp Fiction” needs to watch “Reservoir Dogs.”
However, when I asked for the 10 best titles for me to watch, ChatGPT did not suggest a single TV show, which is probably fair, given how limited Tubi’s TV library is. However, even before giving the robots more details about my specific tastes, they need to be able to come up with better options than a rotation of Gordon Ramsey cooking shows and bargain-basement true crime shows.
As a people, we are always looking for ways to make our lives easier, ways to eliminate friction and get us through the more tedious and mundane aspects of our days. And today, we are increasingly turning to technology for help in doing that. While AI in general, and ChatGPT in particular, might eventually solve streaming’s content discovery issues, I don’t think we’re there quite yet. A farm of millions of servers guzzling water by the bucketsful just can’t replace the insight of a friend’s or critic’s recommendation, or the sheer joy of stumbling across a hidden gem all on your own.
And yes, I asked ChatGPT to create the banner image at the top of this article… I have some notes on that too.
Tubi
Tubi is a free video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 200,000+ movies and TV episodes - more than any other streaming service. Its ad breaks are shorter and less frequent than most free services. Fox executives have called their service “TV on steroids.”