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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Alix Blackburn

Fire TV's new AI feature makes finding stuff to watch even easier — here's how it works

Amazon Fire TV showing some of the best psychological thrillers using AI.

One of the best streaming devices in the market today is the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. For such a small device it can do so much to change your viewing experience, including giving you access to platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube. And all you have to do is plug it into your TV. 

But what happens when you find yourself endlessly scrolling through Netflix, unable to find anything that suits your taste? Yes, we’ve all been there, and it’s something I waste so much time doing. 

Don’t worry, because today is where that frustrated scrolling ends. Now you can find your next favorite show or movie just by speaking, rather than picking up a remote and scavenging every streaming service. With Fire TV’s new AI-enhanced search, you can use natural language and phrases to explore the vast amount of entertainment on your TV. 

Alexa will provide personalized recommendations based on what you enjoy, whether that’s a chilling horror movie or an intense minseries to binge over the weekend. This feature can remove complicated search menus or the need to type out long search queries. So, essentially, Alexa will do all of that work for you. 

Find your perfect watch

This new search experience on Fire TV uses an Amazon-built Large Language Model (LLM) that helps Alexa find the right entertainment for you. It's designed to understand and generate human-like text based on what you say. This model is trained on various amounts of data to ensure it can learn and understand natural language queries. 

With this advanced feature, you can now use natural language and phrases, making your search for content both intuitive and convenient. 

Say you’re in the mood for a psychological thriller that has a twist ending. All you need to say is “Alexa, show me some of the best thrillers with surprising plot twists.” The intelligent AI will present a list of personalized options tailored to what movies and shows you enjoy. Amazon Prime, as well as other connected streaming apps, will show the most relevant content along with anything that costs a rental fee. 

Why not search using other words too? Alexa will even understand what type of plot, character, actor, and quote you’re searching for. As an example: 

  •  “Show me movies about an unexpected romance.” 
  •  “Show me the best dramas with only six episodes.” 
  •  “What movie has the quote, ‘You’re gonna need a bigger boat’?” 
(Image credit: Amazon)

As you continue to use Alexa for your entertainment needs, the recommendations will become increasingly aligned with your interests. This can turn your Fire TV into a smart, responsive tool, meaning no more endless scrolling through lists or struggling with remote controls. Just ask Alexa, and let AI find your next favorite movie or TV show. 

The great thing about this new AI feature is that the recommendations are contextual and personalized just for you. They will include the best choices from your Prime Video account or other streaming subscriptions, so you know which content is free to watch right now.

This new search experience will be available to use today on select Fire TV devices, and will roll out to everyone in the U.S. in English on all eligible devices running FOS6 and later in the coming weeks.

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