HBO Max rolls out AI powered Shorts and conversational search

MUMBAI: Finding something to watch may soon take less scrolling and more talking. Warner Bros. Discovery has introduced two new AI-powered features for HBO Max in the US, aiming to make content discovery faster and more intuitive as competition among streaming platforms intensifies.

The company has launched HBO Max Shorts, a vertical feed of trailers, clips and behind-the-scenes videos that allows subscribers to browse films and television shows in a format familiar to social media users.

Accessible through a new “Shorts” button in the app’s bottom navigation bar, the feature delivers a personalised stream based on each subscriber’s viewing history. Users can instantly begin watching a recommended title or add it to their watch list for later.

Warner Bros. Discovery said the feature is currently being tested with a limited group of iOS users in the US, with plans to expand it to more devices and international markets over time.

Behind the feature is an in-house artificial intelligence tool that analyses scene-level metadata across thousands of hours of films and television programmes. The system identifies standout moments, after which HBO Max’s editorial team selects the most compelling clips before adapting them into a vertical format.

The company said the AI-assisted workflow significantly speeds up the creation of discovery content while maintaining editorial oversight.

Alongside Shorts, Warner Bros. Discovery has also unveiled an experimental conversational search feature for adult Android users in the US.

Available through the “Ask HBO Max” option on the search page, the tool understands natural language prompts rather than relying solely on exact keywords. Subscribers can enter requests such as “in the mood for a comedy”, “dysfunctional family drama” or “best movie for a girls night in”, with the platform recommending titles based on intent instead of precise searches.

The company said the conversational search experience is expected to expand to additional devices and markets as testing progresses.

The latest additions reflect a broader shift across the streaming industry, where platforms are increasingly borrowing familiar features from social media and generative AI to improve content discovery. For Warner Bros. Discovery, the goal is not just to help viewers find their next favourite show, but to keep them spending less time searching and more time watching.