Netflix and artificial intelligence.
Nothing surprising.
Deep down we all know that Netflix recommends different things to all of us. Not because he likes to change the cards on the table but because he promotes what interests us and so he will suggest anime to those who watch a lot of anime, comedies to those who watch a lot of comedies, science fiction to those who are big fans of them and so on.
However, AI influences your Netflix in at least 3 other distinct ways.
Netflix: how does artificial intelligence work within it?
February 8, 9.00 am.
We have just entered WAICF, the World Artificial Intelligence Cannes Festival.
We have an appointment with Monica Livingston, Head of AI Center of Excellence at Intel, for an interview focused on the relationship between AI and Sport.
As we chat, another topic comes up: Netflix.
And here we admit our ignorance because until then the partnership between Intel and Netflix had escaped us. But there’s more: Monica asks us if we have ever noticed the difference in the covers of the various contents. In short, the cover I see of Griselda may not be the one you see.
The covers of films, TV series, anime and shows
Let’s go back to the present.
We invite you to do what we did after speaking with Monica Livingston: open your Netflix, that of some of your friends/acquaintances/relatives and compare the top 10.
The contents in the ranking are obviously the same but the covers are not. Not all of them at least.
Why does this happen? How does Netflix work on this front?
Basically the principle is the same that is applied to contents.
Do you watch more romantic movies? It offers you more.
Do you watch a lot of action films? He will choose a cover that, regardless of the content, gives you the feeling that there is some action in that film or series.
Take Berlin for example.
If you are solid watching rom-coms (romantic comedies), the cover will almost certainly show you Berlin and Lady, otherwise the AI will opt for something different.
E i trailer?
Same speech.
Here too the artificial intelligence analyzes the history, understands your tastes and creates trailers that may be different from those of your friends.
There can be identical clips in a different order, all different clips, something similar and something that has nothing to do with it… In short, lThe AI combines for you the video that can most entice you to watch that content.
How Netflix works: the streaming experience
Okay, this is a tough one.
Or rather, it is not as tangible, but we will try to explain it to you in a simple way.
You’re on the couch, watching Netflix but streaming is not smooth.
Do you blame the router? To your operator? Who is downloading 120 GB of video game with the same connection?
Or do you blame Netflix?
In most cases you point the finger at the platform, which is unlikely to be responsible for the problem.
However, not solving a slowdown or interruption of this kind means letting people associate the malfunction with Netflix, which means image damage, which means potentially losing customers, which means leaving room for very fierce competition.
So what happens?
AI comes into play and in this case is used to optimize the streaming experience based on the network loadso if it senses a difficulty it will perhaps lower the quality to allow you to watch without interruptions until it has room to maneuver to return to using the standard data transmission parameters.
And now everyone check out the Netflix top 10!
