New conversational feature lets users find content with natural language queries

Netflix has officially unveiled its new AI-powered search tool, offering a more conversational way for users to discover content. First hinted at during the company’s recent earnings call, the feature was demonstrated Wednesday at Netflix’s tech and product event.

Powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the tool allows users to search using natural language prompts like, “I want something funny and upbeat,” or even more nuanced queries such as, “I want something scary, but not too scary, and maybe a little bit funny, but not haha funny.”

The feature is launching this week as an opt-in beta for iOS users. Some subscribers in Australia and New Zealand have already had early access, according to a Bloomberg report last month.

Netflix’s move comes as other streaming services experiment with generative AI in their platforms. Amazon, for example, has integrated AI voice search into Fire TVs, enabling users to ask broad, open-ended questions about what to watch.

A closer comparison may be Tubi’s former ChatGPT-powered search tool, which similarly offered personalized recommendations. However, Tubi quietly discontinued the feature, likely due to limited user adoption — raising questions about whether Netflix’s version will gain more traction.

Alongside the AI search, Netflix also announced plans to use generative AI to localize title cards in subscribers’ preferred languages.

Other updates revealed at the event include a short-form video feed for mobile users and a redesigned TV homepage aimed at streamlining content discovery.