Netflix is reportedly testing a search function powered by OpenAI that can help customers find movies and shows to watch. According to a latest Bloomberg report, selected users in Australia and New Zealand can now use the tool, which allows them to search for terms other than a specific show’s title, an actor’s name or the genre they want to watch.
Users will be able to use other terms like their “mood” — which presumably means they can type “sad” and find emotional dramas, or type “funny,” and find comedies, with the AI being able to understand natural language.
Netflix already makes use of artificial intelligence (AI) such as learning users’ preferences based on their viewing history to recommend titles they’re more likely to watch. Apparently, the streaming service is looking for more ways to make use of this technology.
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This function is currently being tested only in the two countries; however, Netflix reportedly has plans for testing in other markets including the U.S. While Netflix usually releases new features on Android first before releasing them out on iOS, this time the feature is available on iOS only.
Netflix spokesperson MoMo Zhou later confirmed with The Verge that the Bloomberg report is true, and that test would expand to U.S. users soon, and that there aren’t any plans right now outside iOS. “It’s early days for the feature and we’re really in a learn and listen phase for this beta,” Zhou said.
Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters had told The Verge editor-in-chief Nilay Patel in an interview with the “Decoder” podcast last year that Netflix had a long history of using machine learning and artificial intelligence in their recommender systems. “Again, we think that our job is to be proactive about understanding where there’s technical innovation. How do we use that both to serve creators, allow them to tell their stories in more compelling ways, and also then to serve our members better user experiences?”