Netflix to start making recommendations based on whether you have company
Netflixâs complex recommendation engine will now be able to determine if someone is sat next to you, presenting only publicly acceptable shows and movies instead of the dross you normally watch. With artificial intelligence and highly involved algorithms usually responsible for telling you that you should watch another episode of Gossip Girls, the new change will ensure you are presented with suggestions to be proud of. Netflix user Simon Williams told us, âJust because I watched an episode or seven of Gossip Girl in the privacy of my own home, doesnât mean I want anyone to know about it.â âSo sitting in front of the television with someone youâre trying to impress had previously made Netflix a no-go area.â âThereâs only so many times you can blame âContinue watching Gossip Girls?â on your nephew using your account.â âIâd much rather they thought Iâd been watching Breaking Bad or House of Cards, and the new âI have companyâ feature makes that so much easier to deal with.â âBy default now Netflix thinks Iâve got someone with me, and theyâll only show critically acclaimed shows that reflect well on me, until I tell it that Iâm alone and it can go back to showing me Gossip Girls and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.â Netflix executives have said the new feature will put an end to people being embarrassed by the fact they are essentially taste-free sheep willing to watch any old shit. As one marketing executive explained, âWe like to think of your true Netflix recommendations like an Internet browsing history â best kept between you and your computer.â âFrom now on weâll only show you recommendations that will make you look good to anyone sat next to you.â âRight until the point you tell us youâre alone again, in which case weâll pick your usual drivel exactly where you left off.â