Amazon Testing ‘AI Topics’ Recommendations for Prime Video
December 17, 2024
Amazon is testing a new way to provide viewers with content recommendations with AI Topics, now in limited beta release for Prime Video. AI Topics eschews traditional recommendation algorithms in favor of AI that “discovers” Prime Video content based on a combination of viewing history and personal interests. Users can request “mind-bending sci-fi” or “fantasy quests,” then navigate seamlessly through topics curated for them that appear on the Prime Video home page. Once a topic is selected, movies, series and linear channels will populate alongside additional related topics.
“You can choose a title to start watching, or refine content recommendations with one of the adjacent topics that aligns more closely with what you’re looking for,” Amazon explains in an announcement, adding that “this can be done several times to hone in on what you’re most interested in.”
“Streaming services like Netflix have long used machine learning algorithms to spit out recommendations based on viewing history, but with this announcement, it seems like Prime Video is putting an extra AI spin on things,” The Verge reports, noting AI Topics is rolling out to “‘select’ living room devices in the U.S., such as the Fire TV.”
While most of the flashy AI headlines have focused on B2B, Amazon has been on a consumer services AI blitz, having introduced nearly a dozen home-use features in the past six months.
Over the summer Amazon Music added Topics to simplify podcast discovery using AI across all tiers for U.S. customers on iOS and Android. The feature was at launch “limited to ‘top podcasts,’” according to The Verge, which said Amazon planned to “expand to others in the future.”
Introduced last month, spoiler-free X-Ray Recaps use artificial intelligence to summarize TV seasons, episodes or portions of episodes on Prime Video.
In an interview following that announcement, Prime Video VP of Product and Design Adam Gray emphasized how the streamer is leveraging AI to drive viewer engagement. “Everything we do around content, discovery and personalization is AI-driven and that’s the core of our service,” Gray told The Wrap.
In September, Amazon added new AI-powered predictive features to help viewers get more out of NFL “Thursday Night Football,” Variety reports, listing among them “Pressure Alerts,” highlighting defenders in position to disrupt an offensive play, and “Coverage ID,” which “tries to identify the defensive formation in place in real time — before the snap takes place.”
No Comments Yet
You can be the first to comment!
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.