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Business Insider: Will AI kill TV or make it smarter? Media execs share 5 key ways the industry is transforming
In a Business Insider feature, Scott Alexander of Bitcentral shares how AI is transforming OTT with intuitive content search and advanced A/B testing of thumbnails and ads.

Subscribe to Business Insider to read the full article online: BusinessInsider.com/Artificial-Intelligence-Youtube-Tiktok-Algorithm-Ads-Creative

For all the attention AI gets, some entertainment industry veterans think it’s still under-discussed — and underestimated.

….

But how are media companies already using AI? Business Insider recently heard from 11 media and entertainment leaders about how they’ve already implemented AI — and the breakthroughs they think it could deliver soon.

Execs from companies like A+E Global Media and YouTube shared how AI can bring better recommendations and search features while transforming how content is delivered globally.

1. Recommendations that really know you

Audiences are drowning in an ocean of content, and many companies are betting AI-enabled recommendations can serve as a life raft.

There are dozens of streaming services, nearly 2,000 always-on channels on free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST), and an endless firehose of user-generated content on YouTube and TikTok.

In this cutthroat battle for attention, content providers are using AI to make smarter suggestions about what to watch based on a viewer’s interests, watch history, or even the time of day.

2. Search is getting smarter

Algorithms aren’t the only way to find what to watch next.

Platforms like Netflix are using AI-powered search to improve content discovery. Viewers can search by genre, theme, and vibe — or by using natural language, like “scary, but not too scary” or “I need something to cheer me up.”

Streamers’ search engines have often relied historically on simple metadata, like the title or actors.

Scott Alexander of digital video software firm Bitcentral said that before AI search, a query that didn’t include terms from the title or description would likely fail. AI search features can help change that by mimicking how a person would help someone choose a movie.

3. A/B testing to infinity

AI also allows video platforms and content creators to do more testing on the creative front.

Streamers have tested multiple thumbnails for years, but now they can use AI-powered A/B tests to supercharge their efforts.

This could better connect audiences with content while saving time, said Abhishek Neralla, a content exec at A+E Global Media. A+E hasn’t yet used AI for these A/B tests but is exploring doing so.

Bitcentral’s Alexander said that with AI, media companies can leave less to chance by creating a few hundred or even 1,000 different versions of an ad with small variations that advertisers can test to see which gets the most engagement.

AI could also help with the creative process itself.

4. Going global, instantly

AI promises to give media companies and creators the opportunity to help their videos travel around the world.

5. How far will AI special effects go?

While AI has tantalizing potential, it’s a double-edged sword for creators since AI-generated content could also distract viewers from movies and TV shows made by humans.

Subscribe to Business Insider to read the full article online: BusinessInsider.com/Artificial-Intelligence-Youtube-Tiktok-Algorithm-Ads-Creative

 

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Published on: 17 June, 2025

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