Because it takes so long for shows to be released between seasons, it can be difficult to remember what happened in the last season. Some shows include recaps to keep you up to date ahead of new seasons, but other times you may want to go back and check it out yourself to see if you can piece together anything you missed or simply forgot.
Amazon seems to understand this kind of frustration and is now introducing video summaries for its shows (via TechCrunch). Now, what makes this a little unique from standard summaries is that these summaries are created using AI. AI may or may not work depending on how well these summaries are accepted.
Good ideas that require good execution
Amazon shares that the technology “identifies a show’s most important plot points and combines them with synchronized audio narration, dialogue snippets, and music to create a visual synopsis that prepares viewers for the new season.” This isn’t the first time Amazon has tackled this type of technology; the brand’s X-Ray Recaps offer similar information, albeit in text format.
Prime Video users will find this feature easier to find, as a new summary button will appear on the home page of supported shows and movies. Currently, it’s only available for watching supported shows and movies on home streaming devices. So if you have a Fire Stick or similar device, you might want to take note of this feature.
Here’s how Amazon does it: It first “analyzes a season’s key plot points and character arcs to gain a deeper understanding of its most important moments,” and then leverages AI to create summaries that include video clips combined with “audio effects, conversation snippets, and music.”
Apparently, AI-generated narration will also appear. The feature will first be available to Prime Video members in the US. And since this will be a beta rollout, there’s always a chance that a full rollout won’t happen depending on the circumstances. However, we suspect that once the tweaks are complete, Amazon will fully release this feature and eventually roll it out to other countries.
It’s unclear how something like this will be received, but it’s good to see Amazon at least being transparent about its efforts. AI has been a big topic in recent years, but there is still a stigma against using AI as a creative tool, whether its use is public or not. At this rate, AI-generated ads may appear on Prime Video in the near future.
