Amazon on Wednesday announced a major upgrade to its streaming platform Prime Video, introducing AI-generated “Video Recaps” designed to help viewers quickly catch up on previous seasons of their favourite shows. The feature uses generative AI to create short, theatrical-quality recap videos complete with narration, dialogue and music, and is rolling out in beta for select Prime Originals such as Fallout, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and Upload.
A new step beyond text-based summaries
Amazon said the new tool builds on its earlier feature, X-Ray Recaps, which provides AI-generated text summaries of episodes or seasons. While such summaries have become familiar through phones, search engines and chatbots, the move to video recaps marks a bolder leap, potentially altering how viewers engage with long-running series.
According to the company, strong guardrails remain in place to ensure the recaps avoid spoilers or plot details that have not been revealed in the episodes the viewer has already watched.
Streaming rivals explore AI-driven innovation
Prime Video joins several major streaming platforms experimenting with AI to enhance the viewer experience. YouTube TV’s “Key Plays” uses AI to highlight pivotal moments in sports broadcasts, a feature that recently earned the service its first Technical Emmy Award—though it still struggles to recognise certain types of plays in sports like baseball.
Netflix, meanwhile, has expanded its use of generative AI on the production side. The company used AI in the Argentine sci-fi series The Eternaut to create a complex building-collapse sequence. In Happy Gilmore 2, AI helped de-age characters for the opening scenes, while pre-production on Billionaires’ Bunker also used AI for conceptualising wardrobe and set design.
Industry debates over AI continue
The growing use of generative AI across the film and TV industry has sparked intense debate. Artists and technicians fear that AI tools—often trained on copyrighted material without creators’ consent—could threaten jobs in areas like animation, VFX and design. Others argue that AI can reduce repetitive work and free artists to focus on creative tasks, citing tools like Wonder Dynamics that can streamline elements of visual effects production.
TikTok expands users’ control over AI content
In related tech-culture developments, TikTok has rolled out a new AI-generated content (AIGC) control, letting users decide how much AI material appears in their For You feed. The tool sits within the “Manage Topics” section and includes a slider allowing users to adjust the level of AI-generated content they want to see.
To strengthen the authenticity of AI-tagged posts, TikTok is also testing invisible watermarking, adding hidden markers to AI-produced videos that are difficult to remove even after editing or uploading to other platforms. This is in addition to existing metadata-based tags under the C2PA Content Credentials framework.
The platform has also announced a $2 million AI literacy fund, working with groups like Girls Who Code to spread awareness about AI safety and understanding.
What it means for viewers
With Amazon’s Video Recaps entering the streaming landscape and rivals doubling down on their own AI strategies, the viewer experience is set to evolve rapidly. While some may find AI-driven video summaries intrusive, others—especially those returning to shows after long gaps—could welcome the convenience.
As generative AI becomes further integrated into both content creation and delivery, the battle for user attention among streaming platforms appears poised to shift even more towards personalisation, automation and interactive viewing.