Netflix adds generative AI and TikTok-style feed amid series of platform changes
Netflix is rolling out a significant redesign of its user interface, featuring a new generative AI-powered search tool and a TikTok-style vertical video feed for mobile devices.
Announced during an online presentation, the changes mark a strategic shift toward enhancing personalisation and discovery on the platform.
Developed in partnership with OpenAI, the new search experience will allow users to request recommendations using natural language instead of typing traditional keywords.
Netflix Chief Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone explained, 'Generative AI allows us to take this a step further, for example, by showcasing our titles in more languages and locations around the world.'
Netflix Chief Product Officer Eunice Kim added that the changes build on over a decade of incremental improvements to the platform's home screen.
As part of the redesign, Netflix will begin testing a mobile vertical feed that features short clips from its library of shows and films. Users can view a clip, add the full title to their list, or share it with others. The feed aims to make content discovery more engaging and intuitive.
The new AI-powered search feature will debut first on iOS in beta form, with users required to opt in to access it. Netflix says the goal is to make searching feel 'more like talking to a friend.'
Meanwhile, the company is retiring its remaining interactive titles, including 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' and 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend.' Netflix did not clarify whether the removals were directly related to the redesign.
This move aligns Netflix with broader industry trends, as competitors like Amazon have also adopted generative AI tools across their streaming and voice assistant platforms.
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