Prime Highlights

Netflix is piloting an AI-driven search feature based on OpenAI technology to boost content discovery.
The feature is live for iOS users in Australia and New Zealand and could roll out in the U.S. soon.

Key Facts

Users can search by mood or specific queries, enhancing personalization.
The feature is optional and in early test stages.
Netflix continues to invest in AI to enhance viewer experience.

Key Background

Netflix is testing deeper AI integration into its service through a new OpenAI-driven search functionality. The feature enables users to move beyond basic keyword-based searches—such as actor names or genres—and, alternatively, enter conversational or mood-based queries, including “something to pick me up” or “films with a twist ending.” This seeks to enhance content discovery and increase user satisfaction through more targeted results.

The test is so far confined to iOS users in New Zealand and Australia and is available on an opt-in model. Netflix has confirmed it will roll out similar tests in the U.S. soon. No word has been given on expansion to other platforms such as Android or Smart TVs.

The decision by Netflix is its latest attempt to remain competitive in the streaming space by further improving the user experience with innovative technology. The company has long applied machine learning to suggest content to users based on their activity. This collaboration with OpenAI—using its state-of-the-art language models—is its next big move towards natural language interaction, providing users with an even more intuitive interface to search through Netflix’s expanding library of content.

The success of this project will determine how streaming services approach search and recommendations, moving towards AI-driven methods that appreciate context and emotional subtlety. It also shows the growing overlap between entertainment and AI technologies, particularly as user expectations change with advances in conversational interfaces.

Netflix has not yet said when or if this feature is likely to officially roll out internationally or if it will be part of its base service or as an add-on to a premium tier. But the company’s enthusiasm for AI tracks wider industry trends, in which platforms are increasingly using generative AI to produce, suggest, or curate content.