Amazon Prime Video is rolling out a new generative AI feature that creates cinematic recap videos to help viewers catch up on past seasons of their favourite shows.
Announced on Wednesday, the new AI-generated “Video Recaps” tool uses generative AI to produce polished season summaries complete with narration, dialogue, and music. The feature enters beta this week for select Prime Video Originals, including Fallout, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, and Upload.
The launch builds on last year’s AI-powered X-Ray Recaps, which offered non-spoiler text summaries for episodes and seasons.
A More Immersive Way to Catch Up
With AI-generated video summaries, Prime Video aims to offer a more immersive recap experience compared to text-based highlights found in search engines or messaging apps. The feature is designed to help viewers re-engage with storylines after long gaps between seasons.
However, the move also raises questions about how AI-generated content might affect viewer experience, as it introduces more automated storytelling into the streaming ecosystem.
Competitors Also Experimenting With AI
Prime Video’s update comes as streaming platforms accelerate AI integration:
- YouTube TV uses AI for its “Key Plays” sports highlight feature, which recently earned a Technical Emmy Award.
- Netflix is leveraging generative AI in production. Recent examples include ageing effects in Happy Gilmore 2, visual pre-production for Billionaires’ Bunker, and a complex collapse scene in The Eternaut.
As AI gains a deeper foothold in film and TV production, debates continue within the industry. Creators argue that AI tools—often trained on copyrighted work without consent—risk harming artistic livelihoods. Others say they can eliminate tedious workflows and allow artists to focus on higher-value creative tasks.
Availability
Prime Video says expanded video recaps will initially be available only to Premium subscribers, with a wider rollout planned for early next year through the Spotify-for-Artists-style preview system to ensure accuracy before the public launch.
