Netflix’s AI Recommendations Aim to Play Matchmaker to Your Tastes – CNET

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The streaming service is testing an interactive AI feature for personalized recommendations.
Senior Editor
Senior Editor
November 3, 2026, 1:00 pm ET
Netflix is testing a new AI-powered recommendation feature on its TV app, designed to match you with titles based on what you’re in the mood for. An interactive tab called AI Discover is intended not only to help subscribers find something to watch, but also to block suggestions for content you’re not interested in.
The move comes months after Netflix execs discussed plans for AI recommendations on its first-quarter earnings call. For now, the feature is available only to a limited group of customers in the US during a testing and feedback phase, and Netflix plans to open it to others in the coming weeks. 
The clickable AI Discover tab will appear at the top of the TV app screen, and as rollout continues, the feature will offer multiple experiences. But at launch on Tuesday, the first option is built around moods, so viewers can choose something like “Scare Me” to see which movies or shows the app highlights for you.
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Don’t see anything? Take things further as the app provides more defined themes to explore. If there’s a title you’re not interested in, you can use the “Tune Your Recommendations” button to prevent it from popping up again — or hit the button if you do like it so Netflix will keep matching you with similar recommendations. Subscribers who are participating in this test run may help inform how this new tab works if — or when — it officially hits Netflix’s main app. 
CNET had an opportunity to preview AI Discover at a media event, where the company shared that the new AI powering the feature will enable recommendations to evolve and adjust to the individual viewer. Tap Discover, and the feature will surface themes such as Solo Movie Night or Swoon-worthy love stories; then the tool gets to work. Selecting a theme will pull up a page of movies and TV shows on the home screen that show the art, trailer or a description.
Based on the demo, titles are a mix of Netflix originals and licensed content. Right underneath is a row of subcategory buttons that subscribers can hit to dive deeper into the recommendations pool (like offbeat stories or workplace comedies). This set of buttons is created by a blend of AI, one’s preferences and what Netflix “predicts [you] will want to see more of.”
Clicking “Tune Your Recommendations” on a title presents two options: keep recommending more like it, or stop recommending. If “Do not recommend” is selected, Netflix asks whether it’s because you’ve already watched it or because you’re not interested, further training the AI tool to make it more personalized.
The testing stage is not something customers can opt in or out of, but those who were placed in the group can choose to skip the feature. Subscribers who currently have access to AI Discover will see a red icon marked “Discover” at the top of the screen and labeled as new.
The streaming giant has been experimenting with AI tools for content discovery for some time. In May 2025, the company announced it was running beta tests of AI-powered search in its mobile app, which lets viewers use conversational commands to get recommendations for Netflix’s expansive library. “I want something scary, but also funny” is an example of a phrase subscribers could use to pull up title suggestions and play immediately on the screen.
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