Prime Video is looking to replace its algorithm with AI-generated recommendations
Prime Video is looking to replace its algorithm with AI-generated recommendations
The new topics are meant to connect viewers to more specific categories with better-curated title recommendations.
Amazon wants to continue incorporating artificial intelligence in the Prime Video platform. Its latest efforts along these lines are in the name of improving content discovery for subscribers. As announced on Thursday, Prime Video is testing what it calls AI Topics with select subscribers, a feature that it hopes will create more specialized content recommendations to bring viewers to titles they’ll like the most.
Key Details:
- AI Topics tries to align content recommendations with your personal interests in hyper-specific categories.
- A beta test will roll out to select Prime Video subscribers in the coming weeks.
- Prime Video recently began incorporating AI in its X-Ray Recaps feature.
At its core, Prime Video’s AI Topics is designed to bring viewers to shows and movies they actually want to watch more quickly. It uses your interests and viewing history to generate new content carousels based on subjects you want to watch most, like “mind-bending sci-fi” or “fantasy quests.”
“We’re excited to take personalization a step further by testing a new way to recommend titles to customers with AI Topics,” Prime Video’s VP of product Adam Gray said. “With the help of AI, we’re able to analyze thousands of shows and movies across Prime Video’s vast library of premium content and group those titles into relevant topics for customers. The end result is a highly personalized content recommendation experience that gives customers control over their discovery journey.”
Prime Video is rolling out the AI Topics beta test to Fire TV smart TVs and streaming players in the coming weeks. If you’re part of the test, all you’ll have to do is scroll down in the Fire TV interface to find your specially crafted AI Topics and start browsing. Additionally, related topics will show up when you pick one of Prime Video’s generated sections, allowing you to help it further hone in on what you like most.
Other streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ leverage machine learning to try to bring you content recommendations, but Amazon is among the first to try to use AI for that purpose instead. If it succeeds in boosting engagement with the streamer, it could start a trend in the industry.
Prime Video has been more than willing to make use of AI for its platform in recent months. In November, the streamer launched a beta test of its X-Ray Recaps feature, which allows viewers to catch up with a quick text recap of any point in a TV show they choose.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Amazon Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.