We have moved past the era of simple catch-up phrases. Amazon’s Prime Video is introducing AI-generated “Video Recaps” to help viewers get up to speed between seasons of their favorite shows. The company announced the new feature on Wednesday.
According to Amazon, this feature uses generative AI to create theatrical-quality season recaps. These recaps include synchronized narration, dialogue, and music. The tool will begin rolling out in a beta version for select Prime Originals such as “Fallout,” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” and “Upload.”
This follows a similar AI-powered feature Prime Video launched last year called “X-Ray Recaps.” That tool summarizes complete seasons, episodes, or parts of episodes. At the time, Amazon stated its AI model had guardrails to prevent the recaps from inadvertently sharing spoilers.
Consumers are already familiar with text-based AI summaries, often encountered when a phone summarizes text messages or when an AI summary appears at the top of Google search results. However, these new video summaries venture into newer territory. They may feel more obtrusive in the viewing experience than text summaries, or they might be embraced by viewers who need a reminder of what happened in a previous season of a show like “Bosch.”
Prime Video’s competitors are also exploring ways to integrate generative AI into their products. For example, YouTube TV uses a “Key Plays” feature to help viewers catch up on sports games that are already in progress. While the algorithm is not perfect and seems to only identify key offensive plays in baseball, the feature was successful enough to help YouTube TV win its first Technical Emmy Award.
Meanwhile, Netflix is applying generative AI on the production side of its business. Earlier this year, Netflix reported it used generative AI in the final footage of the Argentine show “The Eternaut” to create a scene of a collapsing building. Following that, “Happy Gilmore 2” used the technology to make characters appear younger in the film’s opening scene. The producers of “Billionaires’ Bunker” also used AI in pre-production to visualize wardrobe and set design.
The use of AI in the film industry has sparked significant debate. Many artists are concerned that these tools, which are sometimes trained on their work without permission, could threaten their livelihoods. However, some argue that AI can be beneficial by speeding up tedious busywork in animation and special effects. Tools like Wonder Dynamics could potentially expand the creative capacity for artists.