HBO Max Begins Testing AI-Powered Short Video Streaming

HBO Max is preparing to change the classic broadcasting platform model where viewers have long navigated through posters and descriptions to decide what to watch.

Announced by Warner Bros. Discovery, HBO Max Shorts will present the platform's movie and series catalog in a manner similar to short video streams on social media. Users will be able to swipe through vertical videos and directly play a title that catches their interest or add it to their watchlist for later.

The new feature is currently being tested with select iOS users in the U.S. It has not yet been announced when it will be available in other countries, including Turkey.

A Separate Shorts Section is Coming to HBO Max

HBO Max Shorts will be accessed through a separate icon placed in the mobile app's submenu.

This section will showcase trailers, short scenes, bonus content, and eye-catching visuals from films and series on the platform in a vertical format. Users will be able to discover new content by swiping up and down through the videos.

The stream will not show the same videos to everyone. HBO Max will personalize the visuals presented to users based on their viewing history and preferences.

When a user likes a video, they won’t have to exit the social media app to search for the title. They can immediately start watching the full movie or series from the short video or save the content to their list.

Thus, the Shorts stream will function more as a discovery tool that directs users from a short clip to full-length content, rather than as an independent entertainment section trying to keep users engaged within the app for longer periods.

AI Will Scan Thousands of Hours of Footage

Behind HBO Max Shorts is an AI tool developed in-house by Warner Bros. Discovery.

The system will scan thousands of hours of film and series content in the HBO Max catalog based on scene-level data. Machine learning algorithms will suggest striking, visually powerful moments or scenes that could entice viewers to start watching the title to editors.

Warner Bros. Discovery's announcement specifically mentions striking moments, significant plot twists, and visually impressive scenes.

However, not every image selected by the AI will automatically be published in the stream. HBO Max editors will review the suggested scenes to determine which videos best represent the story. The selected visuals will then be converted into a vertical format suitable for phone screens.

Therefore, the system does not represent a content stream entirely managed by AI. While the AI performs preliminary selection within the thousands of hours of the catalog, the final selection and publishing decision will remain with human editors.

The Platform is Transforming Its Catalog into a Social Media Stream

The real significance of HBO Max Shorts is not just the addition of a new video section to the platform.

HBO Max has offered a system where users search for content based on posters, genres, actors, or production names until now. With the new feature, the catalog will transform into a personalized stream that is continuously swiped through and decided upon in a matter of seconds, similar to social media applications.

Warner Bros. Discovery aims to shape the user's decision by directly presenting striking scenes instead of waiting for them to know what they want to watch.

This approach specifically addresses one of the fundamental issues of large broadcasting catalogs: users leaving the app without watching anything because they cannot decide among thousands of options.

Streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Peacock have also begun using short vertical video streams. HBO Max's new move shows that the short video format is not limited to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube; it has also become a method for content discovery on digital streaming platforms.

Striking Scenes May Pose Spoiler Risks

HBO Max indicates that the AI will particularly suggest "significant plot twists" and high-impact scenes to editors.

This method may help engage users with a new title. However, using the most impactful moments of the story in the short video stream could also pose a spoiler risk for those who have not yet watched the film or series.

The company's announcement did not specify how spoiler scenes will be filtered, whether a different selection will be applied for productions the user has not previously watched, or whether final episodes will be included in the stream.

Thus, the possibility of spoilers is not officially acknowledged at this stage; it is an editorial assessment based on the nature of the selected scenes. The final decision by human editors will be crucial in preventing visuals that reveal the entire story.

Sports Footage Will Also Be Added to Short Videos

Initially, HBO Max Shorts will focus on films, series, trailers, and bonus content on the platform.

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that the stream will also include sports content in the future. This means that key moments from matches, clips from sports programs, or highlighted performances will also be presented in vertical video format.

It was also noted that the feature will be developed based on user behavior. Which videos convert to more views, where users stop swiping, or which scenes successfully add the title to their list could influence how the stream evolves over time.

HBO Max will initially open the Shorts feature to a limited number of iOS users in the U.S. After testing, there are plans to expand the system to other devices and countries, but no detailed timeline has been shared.

HBO Max is Also Testing a Natural Language Search Feature

Warner Bros. Discovery is testing a new AI-powered search system called Ask HBO Max alongside the vertical video stream.

This feature will allow users to search using everyday conversational language instead of typing out a full movie or series title. For example, users can use phrases like "something funny to watch tonight," "a drama about a troubled family," or "a movie to watch with friends." The system will interpret this request and suggest appropriate titles.

Ask HBO Max is currently being offered to adult Android users in the U.S. As with the Shorts stream, no date has been announced for its rollout in Turkey or other countries.

Both new systems serve the same purpose: to help users find something to watch more quickly when they do not know exactly what they are looking for in the catalog.

Will HBO Max Shorts Come to Turkey?

Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that HBO Max Shorts will be expanded to other devices and markets after its initial tests. However, it is still unknown whether Turkey is among the planned countries or how the feature will work with Turkish content.

When the new system arrives in Turkey, the adaptation of scenes from HBO Max's local and foreign catalog to vertical format, the reorganization of subtitles for phone screens, and the personalization system working according to local viewing habits will be necessary.

HBO Max's new move further blurs the line between digital streaming platforms and social media.

Users will no longer simply open a trailer to decide which movie to watch. They will stop while swiping through a scene, watch for a few seconds, and perhaps start a series that lasts for hours with the same touch.