How New AI Technology Is Revolutionizing TV Viewing (Guest Blog)

Live TV, traditional cable channels, streaming services, YouTube, Instagram stories. Today’s consumers have a staggering number of ways to consume video content — and new services seem to hit the market in real time. What’s more, the types of content available are wildly diverse, ranging from reliable blockbuster dramas (“Game of Thrones,” anyone?) to quirky cake-decorating how-to videos.

Just this month, Disney revealed details about its new streaming service, which will debut a live-action “Star Wars” series. Another new service, Quibi, is a Hollywood-meets-Silicon Valley collaboration led by entertainment and digital veterans Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman that will offer quit-hit, big-budget content catering to mobile users. And consider that on Netflix alone, categories are no longer limited to familiar favorites like Comedy, Action and Horror; they now also include uber-niche genres like Understated Courtroom Movies.

Wherever — or however — viewers get their video content and whatever they choose to watch, one thing is clear: We’re at a pivotal moment in the industry.

Also Read: 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,' 'Matilda,' 'The BFG': Netflix to Adapt Roald Dahl Library as Event Series

This sea change may bring some confusion for viewers, as they face an ever-growing avalanche of options. But as a veteran in the technology and media business, I see a host of exciting possibilities ahead — including the chance to shape video-entertainment viewing for the next generation of consumers.

The technologies that industry leaders will bring to bear, along with the business models we are evolving right now, will be essential to guiding viewers through an increasingly fragmented but rich media landscape. With the right tools, we can help consumers navigate an avalanche of content and find the TV, movies, and other videos they care about most, whenever they want them. To that end, Tivo is currently pioneering an interface that will aggregate live TV, linear cable content and streaming video in one guide.

As the overall paradigm for video viewing shifts and more platforms and content creators enter the market, data, media, social and technology companies are all jumping into the game. For example, AI is now being used to tailor recommendations to individual viewers. As one primary tool for helping consumers surface personalized content, AI helps refine the recommendation engine by using metadata to track customer preferences.

Also Read: How Artificial Intelligence Might Change the Way Hollywood Tells Stories

So, a viewer who faithfully watches “This Is Us” might see similar family dramas like “Parenthood” pop up in her queue. This rapidly evolving technology is only getting more refined, expanding from curation toward using information to determine the types of content creators should consider.

Would a “Law & Order” die-hard who also likes Bruce Willis movies want to see the actor in a cop or courtroom drama? Those are the types of questions AI can surface — and address. In a future scenario, AI might even provide the information to tailor the ending of certain shows to particular viewers. The content and viewing guide possibilities are mind-boggling. And they’re in the works.

Also Read: Taryn Southern on Being First to Use Artificial Intelligence to Make Album: 'Sky Is the Limit'

While it’s thrilling to consider the new frontier of video viewing, several technological and business-model challenges remain. These include:

All of these great new content sources have disparate and at least seemingly incompatible business models. What is the incentive, for example, for Disney to offer its content over Amazon Prime or through a cable network?
Even if viewers can access Netflix over their cable service, for example, it’s still a subscription program. If a customer is not subscribed, they could perhaps see all the titles but not view the content.

Despite these obstacles, I believe that interface technology is a powerful force to change business models, especially when doing so unlocks amazing content — the way Google worked to transform the internet. Current and emerging technology is already revolutionizing the TV viewing experience, ushering in an exciting new era for the industry and consumers alike.

Netflix in December: What's Coming and Going That You Should Really, Really Watch (Photos)

With dozens of new titles hitting Netflix each month, it can be difficult to keep track of what to watch. So TheWrap has compiled a list, updated each month, of the best new shows and movies to check out and which to watch before they're gone for good.
Leaving Dec. 1: "Sons of Anarchy" Season 1-7 The hit FX drama from creator Kurt Sutter, which was later spun off into the currently airing "Mayans M.C.," stars Charlie Hunnam as Jackson "Jax" Teller, the leader of a outlaw motorcycle club in Central California.
FX
Arriving Dec. 2: "The Lobster" An absurdist comedy co-written and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, whose latest film "The Favourite" hit theaters in November, "The Lobster" stars Colin Farrell as a man seeking a partner in a world where single people are transformed into animals.
A24
Arriving Dec. 7: "Dumplin" Danielle Macdonald stars as Dumplin', the plus-size, teenage daughter of a former beauty queen (Jennifer Aniston), who signs up for her mom's pageant as a protest that escalates when other contestants follow in her footsteps, revolutionizing the pageant and their small Texas town.
Netflix
Leaving Dec. 10: "Battle Royale" A stealth romance disguised as a bloody teen slasher, the Japanese modern classic "Battle Royale" centers on a group of high schoolers who are sent to an isolated island where they're forced to compete in a "Hunger Games"-style fight to the death.
Toei Company
Leaving Dec. 12: "Trolls" DreamWorks Animation's 2016 film, based on the elaborately coiffed dolls popular in the '90s, stars Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake as a pair of trolls who embark on a mission to rescue their village from a troll-eating monster.
DreamWorks Animation
Arriving Dec. 14: "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale" A holiday-themed episode of the Netflix original series, "A Midwinter's Tale" picks up as the winter solstice approaches, as Sabrina orchestrates an emotional séance with serious consequences and Susie's merry plans turn menacing.
Netflix
Arriving Dec. 14: "Roma" Alfonso Cuarón's latest Oscar contender chronicles a tumultuous year in the life of a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
Netflix
Leaving Dec. 15: "Step Up 2: The Streets" The second installment in "Crazy Rich Asians" director Jon M. Chu's dance movie franchise, "Step Up 2: The Streets" stars Briana Evigan as a street dancer who finds herself caught between two worlds when she's recruited to a prestigious dance school.
Touchstone
Arriving Dec. 16: "Springsteen on Broadway" A filmed version of the stage show based on his best-selling autobiography, Bruce Springsteen performs acoustic versions of his music and shares personal stories.
Netflix
Arriving Dec. 18: "Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable" Filmed at Seattle's Benaroya Hall, Ellen DeGeneres makes her return to stand-up after a 15-year hiatus for a new Netflix special.
Netflix
Arriving Dec. 18: "Terrace House: Opening New Doors" Part 5 In the latest batch of episodes from Japan's gentlest reality show, Takayuki and Aya keep going on dates, but Takayuki's heart may be set on someone else, and new member Shunsuke begins a journey of self-discovery.
Netflix
Leaving Dec. 20: "Moana" Featuring songs by "Hamilton's" Lin-Manuel Miranda, Disney's "Moana" centers on the strong-willed daughter, straining at the confines of her Polynesian island, who is tasked with tracking down the demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to save her home.
Disney
Arriving Dec. 21: "Bird Box" Set five years after a wave of mass suicides decimates the population, "Bird Box" stars Sandra Bullock as a mother of two children who embarks on a desperate, dangerous quest for sanctuary.
Netflix
Arriving Dec. 24: "The Magicians" Season 3 Syfy's zany adaptation of the popular series of Lev Grossman novels centers on a group of students at a secret university for magicians as they grapple with everything from bad hookups to murderous trickster gods to fairies who try to take over the world.
Syfy
Arriving Dec. 25: "Avengers: Infinity War" The first part in Marvel's decade-in-the-making superhero team-up unites nearly every hero from the franchise's 20 films in a showdown against the world-destroying villain Thanos and features one of the biggest cliffhangers in cinematic history.
Marvel
Arriving Dec. 31: "The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From a Mythical Man" Tommy Avallone's 2018 documentary investigates the mythical encounters everyday people have had with Bill Murray, from photobombed wedding photos to crashed house parties.
Getty Images

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TheWrap has compiled the highlights — before it’s too late

With dozens of new titles hitting Netflix each month, it can be difficult to keep track of what to watch. So TheWrap has compiled a list, updated each month, of the best new shows and movies to check out and which to watch before they're gone for good.

View In Gallery

BIO Arvin Patel

Arvin Patel is the executive vice president and chief intellectual property officer for TiVo and a leading voice in the future of IP, ranking No. 7 in the 2017 IAM Market Makers list. At TiVo, he oversees the annual $400 million IP business, including the company's industry-leading portfolios of approximately 6,000 issued patents as well as numerous pending applications worldwide. Prior to joining TiVo, Patel was chief IP officer for Technicolor, managing the company's worldwide patent licensing business and collaborated with senior leadership to craft business alliances and investments. Previous IP leadership positions include Rovi's senior vice president, IP and licensing, and IBM's global leader, IP strategy and director of IP strategy. Holding more than 50 patents worldwide, Patel has been named a Top 100 Lawyer in California by the American Society of Legal Advocates since 2013. He is also an active member of the American Intellectual Lawyers Association, the American Corporate Counsel Association, the State Bar of California and the American Bar Association.