Netflix turns to AI to fix its algorithm’s messes  | amznusa.com

Netflix used to believe that algorithms were all you really needed.

Executives insisted that Netflix would become so good at anticipating your desires that you wouldn’t even need a grid of content tiles. “We want it to be you turn on Netflix and there’s a row, there’s like four choices, and you want to watch them all,” founder and former CEO Reed Hastings said in 2017.

As anyone who’s spent an evening scrolling through the catalog can attest, that vision has not panned out, and so now Netflix is turning to AI for an assist. An experimental new “AI Discover” feature will ask users what kind of programming they want—with options like “Family Movie Night,” “Scare Me,” or “Quick Watches”—and will then show a cluster of videos to choose from. The feature is rolling out to small groups of U.S. users, appearing as an option in the top navigation bar.

Perhaps AI will finally bring Netflix’s vision to fruition. The more likely outcome, though, is that it’ll just represent another way among many to sift through Netflix’s sprawling catalog. As the company tries to stop engagement from slowing down, the algorithm alone isn’t cutting it.

Beyond the algorithm

AI Discover isn’t Netflix’s first attempt to shake up content discovery beyond its algorithmic recommendation rows.

In 2020, Netflix debuted daily top 10 lists for its most-watched movies and shows, an acknowledgment that people want to know what others are watching instead of being trapped in their own bubbles. The feature must’ve proven popular, as it remains a fixture of Netflix’s home screen and has since been replicated by most other major streaming services.

Netflix has also toyed with helping users tune into specific genres. In 2022, it added a dedicated “Categories” menu, and while it went away last year as part of a larger interface overhaul, Netflix may not be done with the idea of genre-based viewing. Over the summer, the Wall Street Journal reported that Netflix is considering a lineup of linear streaming channels for different genres, in a nod to both traditional cable and free streaming services.

Meanwhile, Netflix has tried letting people bypass its home screen entirely with a “Play Something” button (later called “Surprise Me”), which aimed to cure analysis paralysis by jumping right into a random unfinished program, watchlist item, or personalized recommendation. Netflix made a big to-do about the feature when it launched in 2021, even teasing it ahead of time in an earnings call, but then killed it because not enough people were using it.

Netflix

That brings us to Netflix’s foray into AI, or at least something it’s calling AI. Unlike Amazon and Roku, Netflix isn’t letting users converse with a large language model to sift through the catalog. This first feature is more like “Play Something” with extra wiggle room, letting users choose from small batches of suggested movies and shows. But Netflix also makes clear that this is just the first of several forthcoming experiments.

“Think of AI Discover as our test kitchen: we’re trying out new recipes for discovery, and your use and feedback help us decide which ones to keep, improve, or serve up next,” the company said in a blog post. “Some may even make their way into the main Netflix experience.”

Netflix

Bringing people back

The backdrop for all this is Netflix’s reportedly stagnant user engagement.

In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that Netflix executives had discussed signs of engagement decline among subscribers. Financial Times followed that up last month, reporting that subscribers aren’t logging in as often as they once did. The company also recently cut ad sales forecasts, laid off 6% of its workforce, and let a couple of longtime executives go.

New navigation features alone won’t solve Netflix’s problems—I’ve stopped subscribing year-round because the content doesn’t justify the ever-increasing cost—but they might help users understand if they’ve been missing anything. Instead of guessing at the exact four things each person will want to watch, Netflix is going to try letting users cast a wider net.

Parting tip: If your Netflix algorithm feels stale and you want a reboot, sign into your account in a web browser, head to your viewing activity page, then scroll down to find the “Hide All” button.

Jared Newman / Foundry

This will permanently wipe your watch history so you can start over with a clean slate.

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