After rolling out tests last year, Netflix announced yesterday that it’s debuting AI-powered search, which the streaming company is calling AI Discover.
A new tab on the Netflix TV app, AI Discover is where users can tell the platform what they’re in the mood for, and Netflix will surface some TV and movie options from its catalog.
Here’s how it works, according to Netflix’s blog post about the launch:
The best tech deal this week
Products available for purchase through affiliate links. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
Mashable Light Speed
-
Pick a theme, such as “Something Light” or “Scare Me.” You can also pick a theme by how much time you have or who you’re watching with.
-
Netflix will match you with recommendations.
-
If you’re not satisfied, you can search by more specific themes that pop up.
-
You can “Tune Your Recommendations” to either keep or toss a recommended piece of media.
“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 blog post states. “Some may even make their way into the main Netflix experience.”
AI Discover is beginning to roll out to U.S. Netflix users who watch in English, with plans to expand it in the upcoming weeks.
Mashable initially reported that the AI search engine is powered by OpenAI, though Netflix’s blog post doesn’t clarify this. It does state that the engine will search content by mood, which is consistent with yesterday’s launch.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems. The New York Times has also sued OpenAI.
