There is a view that AI-enabled algos are resulting in homogenization of content on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Netflix, for example, famously relies on user data to greenlight and shape content. This often results in films and shows that feel engineered by an AI rather than driven by a distinct creative voice. "When you try to please everyone based on data points, you end up with highly polished, expensive, but ultimately forgettable background noise content (like The Gray Man or Red Notice)," a critic recently wrote.
Netflix, in particular, uses the binge-model drop. "A massive show premieres on a Friday, dominates social media for 72 hours, and is completely replaced by the next shiny object the following weekend. Content is treated as disposable fuel to prevent subscriber churn, rather than art meant to endure," a film critic on Deadline recently commented.
That said, shows like Stranger Things and Squid Game are important. The latter became a massive global phenomenon that influenced fashion, internet culture, and even sparked real-world events. "It proved that Netflix's massive global distribution network could occasionally launch a monocultural moment overnight," Variety added.
