Netflix is testing a new OpenAI-powered search feature that enables users to find content using natural language prompts, including mood, tone, genre, and other specific criteria. The beta is live on iOS in Australia and New Zealand, with U.S. rollout expected soon. The feature promises a significant leap in personalization and ease of discovery on the platform.
Netflix Enhances Search – Key Points
AI-Driven Search Functionality:
Netflix’s upgraded search engine, powered by OpenAI, interprets complex user queries beyond basic filters. Viewers can request “a heartwarming movie with a dog,” “something nostalgic from the ‘90s,” or “a short sci-fi film without violence.” The system processes these expressive inputs using natural language understanding, offering a personalized, conversational search experience akin to ChatGPT’s recommendation style.
Beta Testing in Specific Regions:
As of April 11, 2025, Netflix launched the AI search beta for iOS users in Australia and New Zealand. Expansion to U.S. users is expected “in the coming weeks and months.” Netflix has not announced plans for rollout on Android, web, or global platforms.
Feature is Optional and in Early Phases:
The AI search is opt-in and currently part of a limited user trial. Netflix spokesperson MoMo Zhou describes the initiative as being in a “learn and listen” phase. User feedback during this period will help shape potential global deployment and refinement of the feature.
Low-Key Rollout Amid Industry Scrutiny:
According to TechRadar, Netflix is keeping the launch quiet due to broader industry scrutiny around AI use in entertainment. Recent controversies over AI in content production have prompted public debate, influencing how streaming platforms position new AI-driven tools.
Enhanced User Interaction:
This feature allows expressive, mood-driven interactions with the search interface. Rather than navigating via filters, users speak to Netflix more like they would to a friend or AI assistant—stating their preferences or emotional context and receiving intelligent, targeted results from the Netflix catalog.
Backed by Two Decades of AI Use at Netflix:
Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters emphasized in a Decoder podcast interview that the company has leveraged AI and machine learning in recommendation engines for over 20 years. This new OpenAI integration marks an evolution of that commitment, aligning technical innovation with enhanced user storytelling experiences.
Synergy with Existing Recommendation Infrastructure:
Netflix already tracks real-time user engagement—what users watch, skip, or linger over—to shape content suggestions. The new search enhancement builds on this by allowing users to take the initiative, describing exactly what they want and letting AI do the matching.
Why This Matters:
By enabling intuitive, mood-based, and conversational search, Netflix addresses a fundamental user pain point—inefficient and impersonal search experiences. This feature has the potential to reframe how people discover content on streaming platforms. If successful, it could become the new standard for AI-assisted entertainment interfaces across the industry, reinforcing Netflix’s role as a tech-forward leader in digital entertainment.
Netflix uses AI to offer personalized viewing experiences, improve content creation process and achieve cost savings of $1B/y.
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