Disney tests AI-powered search and recommendations on Disney+

Disney is testing an AI-powered search and discovery tool across Disney+ and ESPN, giving limited user groups a way to ask for recommendations in plain language, by voice or with suggested prompts. On Disney+ the feature builds customized rows of shows and movies, a direct attempt to make a giant catalog feel less like a maze and more like a conversation.

The company said the beta is built around two familiar habits: searching for something specific or browsing when open to suggestions. That distinction matters in streaming, where the hardest part is often not finding content but deciding among thousands of titles. Disney+ already recommends shows based on viewing history, but the new tool is meant to go further by responding to natural-language questions and surfacing titles that fit the request instead of only leaning on past behavior.

That push puts Disney into a race that now extends well beyond content libraries and into the mechanics of discovery itself. Amazon upgraded Fire TV voice search and recommendations with AI integration on May 31, 2024, while Netflix has already pushed natural-language discovery features that make its interface more conversational. Disney’s version follows the same commercial logic: if viewers can describe what they want, the service has a better shot at keeping them inside the app instead of sending them back to search engines or social media for suggestions.

The bet is especially important for older catalog titles, which often disappear under the weight of newer releases and franchise tentpoles. A more conversational search layer could make it easier to surface deep cuts, legacy films and season-old series that would otherwise stay buried beneath algorithmic defaults. For a platform built on both blockbuster franchises and a long back catalog, that could change what viewers see first and, over time, what they actually watch.

The experiment also fits Disney’s broader move into generative AI. In February 2024, the company was reported to be rolling out an AI-powered ad tool for tailored commercials, and later Disney-related reporting tied it to experiments involving AI-generated user content on Disney+ and AI-powered video creation. Bob Iger has also said Disney+ will soon allow subscribers to create and view AI-generated content, underscoring how the company is trying to make its streaming services more interactive while rivals race to make recommendation engines more conversational.