Jeff Bezos pushes Prime Video overhaul to showcase Amazon's $200 billion AI investment

Jeff Bezos is getting involved with centering Amazon's AI in Prime Video.

Like Sergey Brin going hands-on with Google's AI push (and in addition to a rumored bid for Liverpool), Reuters reports Bezos has made an unusual move to become personally involved in the "Lighthouse" project updating Prime Video's homepage, recommendations, and voice control. Sources said Bezos felt an initial plan "failed to sufficiently highlight the service's capabilities in AI and personalization." Not sure why he may have felt that way, but here's the apparently AI-generated image Prime Video is using to promote Death Race 2000.

EXCLUSIVE: Amazon's Bezos pushes Prime Video redesign focused on AI

SAN FRANCISCO, July 23 (Reuters) - Jeff Bezos has identified a new, high-profile platform to help showcase the hundreds of billions of dollars Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab has bet on artificial intelligence: Prime Video. The Amazon founder and executive chairman pushed Prime Video head Mike Hopkins to overhaul the streaming service so that AI is front and center, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. The resulting project, known internally as Lighthouse, would shine a light on Amazon's AI capabilities for the more than 200 million consumers who use Prime Video. Lighthouse is viewed as one critical piece in Amazon's companywide efforts to elevate the company's stature in artificial intelligence, as competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic speed ahead, the people said. Other AI initiatives, such as the multiyear overhaul of its Alexa voice assistant to provide more conversational responses, have had mixed results and the unit is still losing money, people familiar with the matter have previously told Reuters. Amazon declined to comment. CONTENTIOUS MEETING SPARKED OVERHAUL The Prime Video initiative grew out of an internal presentation the streaming service's executives made to Bezos last autumn that turned contentious, according to these people. Bezos was displeased that Hopkins' plans to update Prime Video failed to sufficiently highlight the service's capabilities in AI and personalization, according to the people. Bezos' response prompted the Prime Video executives to scrap their previous plans and embark on Lighthouse. The company has committed some $200 billion to capital expenditures this year, related primarily to developing AI, ⁠and invested an initial $23 billion in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Anthropic combined, with the potential for upwards of another $40 billion. Lighthouse entails a broad swath of new features that use AI to improve film and TV recommendations, in part by learning consumers' preferences, and responding to spoken requests, according to one person with knowledge of the project who spoke on condition of anonymity. Prime Video is working on redesigning the main home page as part of the project, the other people said. The final redesign has not yet been settled, but one option Prime Video executives discussed includes AI-driven tiles, with pre-populated viewing suggestions like "action movies from the 1980s" or "Christmas rom-coms," three of the people said. Another source said a current version does not include text-heavy tiles. The traditional search function would remain, as well as space at the top of the screen for video highlights promoting new releases or sporting events, such as "Thursday Night Football," the weekly National Football League game that is exclusive to Amazon. Amazon is already testing versions of the redesign with a few users, said one of the people. Prime Video's plans, the people said, could change due to feedback from early testers, or financial or other concerns. Prime Video, like other streaming services, relies on paid placement by studios, as well as software algorithms, to dictate where content is displayed on the home screen, said Michael Goodman, director of entertainment research for Parks Associates. Any change to that, including through greater personalization, could upend that system, he said. "The real estate on the ⁠home screen is very valuable to studios, so it would be a big change to take away any of that coveted space," said Goodman. FOUNDER'S PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT Bezos has been personally involved in the Prime Video overhaul, the people said, including receiving occasional updates, underscoring the stakes for a company battling a reputation for subpar AI foundation models. Improved personalization can lead to more hours spent on the service. His involvement with the Prime Video project is unusual as he has taken a step back from most day-to-day operations at Amazon since relinquishing the CEO title in 2021. He also owns the Washington Post and is the founder of spaceflight firm Blue Origin and AI startup Prometheus, reportedly valued at around $41 billion. He has focused more of his attention on those projects. Prime Video is one of Amazon's best-known brands and is available to ⁠consumers in a number of markets where Amazon has limited or no e-commerce presence. Beyond no-cost shipping, Prime Video is the Prime subscription's most-used offering. As part of the Lighthouse project, Amazon has also discussed integrating the Alexa voice assistant into Prime Video's search function, the people said. Amazon in early 2025 released an overhauled generative AI version of Alexa, and integrated it into its main shopping site in May 2026. Kam Keshmiri, global head of the Prime Video design, was also at the meeting with Bezos and is now leading the Lighthouse redesign, the people ⁠said. PRIME VIDEO'S MARKET POSITION In the U.S., Prime Video is the fourth most-watched streaming service, but it is prized by Bezos, who frequents high-profile Hollywood events and owns a $165 million home in Beverly Hills. Amazon became the first streaming service to win an Academy Award in a major category. The company deepened its commitment to entertainment in 2022 when it paid $8.5 billion to buy MGM, giving it access to many well-known entertainment franchises, including James Bond. Prime Video's 4.2% share of television viewing in the U.S. trails YouTube ⁠with 13.4%, Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab at 7.8% and Walt Disney's (DIS.N), opens new tab Disney+ at 5%, according to April data from Nielsen. Still, many Prime Video members spend hours a week consuming content on the platform, and the company wants to further hone its personalization capabilities through AI. The service released a significant redesign in July 2024, aimed at making it easier for users to distinguish between what content is free and what costs extra, such as subscriptions to Paramount+ and TV shows and movies that require a rental fee. Amazon wants Prime Video to be users' central hub for paid subscriptions. Reporting by Greg Bensinger in San Francisco and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Editing by Edmund Lee and Matthew Lewis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Disrupted Greg Bensinger Thomson Reuters Greg Bensinger joined Reuters as a technology correspondent in 2022 focusing on the world's largest technology companies. He was previously a member of The New York Times editorial board and a technology beat reporter for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He also worked for Bloomberg News writing about the auto and telecommunications industries. He studied English literature at The University of Virginia and graduate journalism at Columbia University. Greg lives in San Francisco with his wife and two children.

Jeff Bezos is pushing an AI-first Prime Video redesign, and studios may end up paying for it

The overhaul, known internally as Lighthouse, would turn the streaming app into a shop window for the money Amazon has poured into artificial intelligence. Jeff Bezos has found a new place to advertise Amazon's artificial intelligence, and it happens to be the screen where you were hoping to watch a film. Amazon's executive chairman is pushing a redesign of Prime Video, known internally as Lighthouse, meant to turn the streaming service into a high-profile showcase for the hundreds of billions of dollars the company has spent on AI, Reuters reported on Thursday. It is the same instinct that recently put Alexa inside the search bar on Amazon's shopping site. The work is led by Prime Video head Mike Hopkins, with the unit's global design lead, Kam Keshmiri, running the project day to day. The problem it is chasing, helping people find something to watch without endless scrolling, is the same one Netflix has thrown generative AI at, and it gained urgency after Bezos pushed back at an internal presentation, telling the team its plans did not lean hard enough on AI. Bezos has since been taking regular updates on the work, according to the reporting, and an earlier set of designs was scrapped once the team was told to start again with AI at the centre. That level of founder attention is unusual for a product feature, and it tells you how much weight Amazon is placing on being seen to have something to show for its spending. According to the reporting, Lighthouse would rebuild the home screen around machine-generated recommendations rather than a fixed grid. Features under development include AI-generated thumbnails, pre-filled browsing prompts such as "1980s action films" and "Christmas rom-coms", and voice search powered by Alexa. Conventional search would stay, for anyone who already knows what they want. The change carries a commercial edge that studios will notice. Prime Video currently sells fixed, premium placement slots on its home screen, the digital equivalent of an end-cap in a supermarket. Lighthouse would trim those in favour of algorithmic ranking, which unsettles the arrangements studios have relied on to buy their way into a viewer's eyeline. In practice, that turns a guaranteed placement into a contest an algorithm decides. Studios that once paid for a fixed spot would instead be ranked alongside everything else on offer, with the personalisation engine choosing who sees what. For partners used to negotiating visibility, a marketplace they cannot fully see into is a harder thing to plan around. The prize is reach. Prime Video claims more than 200 million monthly viewers, yet it drew roughly 4.2% of US television viewing time in recent figures cited by Reuters, well behind YouTube on about 13.4% and Netflix on close to 7.8%, and behind Disney+ too. A home screen seen that often is a useful billboard for a company trying to prove its AI spending has a point. None of this is Amazon's first pass at the idea. A 2024 redesign already added "Made for You" collections and synopses trimmed by large language models running on AWS, and the company has been folding generative AI into recaps and dubbing for a while. The technology has also proved legally awkward, as the Nova Reel lawsuit brought by a group of YouTubers made plain. The push also sits alongside Amazon's broader appetite for automation. The company is using AI to speed up film and television production through a small studio team run by executive Albert Cheng, which has already leaned on the technology for battle scenes in the biblical series House of David. The same company has cut about 30,000 corporate jobs since October, citing AI among the reasons, and the bet that reshaped Alexa is now being aimed squarely at the living room. Amazon is testing versions of Lighthouse with a selection of users, and the final layout has not been settled. Amazon declined to comment. What Bezos wants is clear enough anyway, which is for the recommendation engine, not the catalogue, to be the first thing you see.

Amazon Prime Video is working on an overhaul, but maybe not the kind you want

Jeff Bezos is reportedly personally involved with Lighthouse. After raising the price of its ad-free offering (and newly gating 4K playback) earlier this year, Amazon Prime Video is now looking to incorporate more AI. According to a new report, Jeff Bezos himself is pushing for a Prime Video redesign that more prominently features AI-driven content recommendations. According to Reuters, Bezos wants to use Prime Video to highlight Amazon's AI prowess. An initiative called Lighthouse is meant to provide more personalized TV and movie recommendations by using AI to analyze subscribers' preferences and theoretically serve them content they'll be more likely to watch. This could lead to changes not only behind the scenes, but also in the user-facing Amazon Prime Video app interface. The report says that while a final direction for a UI redesign hasn't been been decided, the company has internally discussed a user experience that includes an emphasis on "AI-driven tiles." Alexa may also be integrated into Prime Video's search functionality. Amazon is reportedly already testing versions of an app redesign with a select group of users. Bezos apparently became personally involved in Prime Video's AI overhaul following an internal presentation outlining planned updates to the streaming service last fall. In Bezos's view, the plans "failed to sufficiently highlight the service's capabilities in AI and personalization," the report says. For an overhaul of a popular service that's apparently meant to show how Amazon's investment in AI is paying off, the Lighthouse initiative sounds fairly tame. Like every streaming platform, Prime Video already recommends content based on users' perceived preferences; labeling those recommendations as being AI-derived doesn't sound like it'd change much from a user perspective. Higher-quality recommendations would lead users to spend more time on Prime Video, however, which would be a win for Amazon. Whether Lighthouse can accomplish that remains to be seen. It's not clear when subscribers should expect any of these changes. Amazon declined Reuters's request for comment, the report says.

Prime Video's upcoming AI makeover could completely change how you decide what to watch next

All the best streaming services use AI in some form or another to serve up recommendations for what to watch, but Prime Video's looking to go all in. According to a Reuters report this week, Jeff Bezos is personally pushing Amazon's Prime Video executives toward a major app redesign to turn the streaming platform into a marquee showcase for Amazon's multi-billion-dollar investments in AI technology for its 200+ million active viewers. Internally codenamed Project Lighthouse, the effort is just one piece of Amazon's companywide AI efforts to compete against the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic. Lighthouse would comb through a subscriber's viewing preferences, using AI for improved film and TV recommendations and to respond to spoken requests, one person with knowledge of the project told Reuters. The final redesign is still in the works, but it could drastically change your home page and how you find what to watch next. We've reached out to Amazon for comment, and will update this story once we hear back. Following a tense internal presentation last fall, Bezos rejected earlier redesign proposals from Prime Video head Mike Hopkins, expressing frustration that they did not go far enough in leveraging generative AI for improved personalization. The team scrapped those plans and started fresh under Global Head of Design Kam Keshmiri. So far this year, the company's dropped $200 billion in capital expenditures, mostly related to developing AI, Reuters reports. Potential changes with Prime Video's AI redesign Again, Prime Video's AI overhaul is far from finalized, but one part of the redesign under consideration would introduce AI-powered content tiles that surface curated viewing suggestions, such as "1980s action movies" or "Christmas rom-coms," three people familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Netflix employs similar categories to help direct viewers find other movies and shows in genres they gravitate toward. The overhaul could also reshape how movies and TV shows are promoted on Prime Video. Right now, studios pay for premium placement on the service's homepage alongside recommendations generated by Amazon's algorithms, a practice that's standard among streaming platforms. Amazon has reportedly already begun testing early versions of the redesign with a limited group of users. However, the final product could still change based on tester feedback, budget considerations, or other internal factors. The redesigned interface would still include the standard search bar, along with a dedicated area at the top of the homepage to spotlight new releases and live events, including Amazon's exclusive "Thursday Night Football" broadcasts. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok. Finally, you can visit our dedicated Tom's Guide Savings Squad hub for expert help on getting the best products for less.

Amazon is redesigning Prime Video with more AI, but will it fix what frustrates viewers?

Jeff Bezos is personally driving an AI-focused redesign of Prime Video called Lighthouse. Prime Video's home screen has looked the same for years, with rows of tiles that rarely matches what you actually want to watch. Amazon is betting AI can change that, and Jeff Bezos is personally driving the effort. Bezos reportedly directed Prime Video head Mike Hopkins to overhaul the streaming service so AI sits front and center, according to Reuters. The project carries an internal codename, Lighthouse, and it's already reshaping how the app might work. What's changing on Prime Video? The redesign would rebuild the home page around AI-generated recommendations instead of the fixed grid every subscriber currently sees. One version Prime Video executives discussed includes tiles built around prompts like "action movies from the 1980s" or "Christmas rom-coms," shaped by your own viewing habits. Recommended Videos Amazon is also weighing whether to fold its Alexa voice assistant into search, so you could just say what you're in the mood for instead of typing it out. Traditional search isn't going anywhere either, and the top of the screen would still hold space for highlights like Thursday Night Football, the NFL game exclusive to Amazon. What's driving Bezos's sudden push for AI? The Lighthouse project didn't start as a routine product update. Reuters reports the project grew out of a tense meeting last fall, where Bezos told Prime Video executives their original plans didn't lean hard enough into AI and personalization. The team scrapped that version entirely and rebuilt it from scratch under global design lead Kam Keshmiri. Bezos has stayed personally involved ever since, which is interesting given how far he's stepped back from daily Amazon operations since 2021. There's also a much larger story behind Prime Video's redesign. Amazon has committed close to $200 billion in capital spending this year, largely tied to AI, on top of an initial $23 billion investment split between OpenAI and Anthropic. Lighthouse is one piece of Amazon's plans to strengthen its AI reputation while rivals keep moving quickly. Currently, Prime Video currently holds just 4.2% of US television viewing, falling behind YouTube, Netflix, and Disney+, which gives Amazon plenty of reason to get this right. However, Amazon's other major AI project, which is an overhauled version of Alexa, has delivered mixed results so far, and the unit is reportedly still losing money. Does having more AI actually benefit viewers? Prime Video, like most popular streaming platforms, lets studios pay for prime placement on the home screen. If personalized rankings start replacing some of that paid real estate, what you see first could depend more on your preferred shows instead of who paid the most. That would mark a real shift toward more honest recommendations which is good for viewers. However, there is still some skepticism in this conversation. Netflix has already thrown similar AI fixes at the scrolling fatigue problem, and many viewers still complain of not finding anything bingeworthy to watch on the platform. It's also unclear if Prime Video's redesigned AI-first approach would make the paid placement disappear entirely or simply relocate it into the algorithm itself, which wouldn't be much of a win for viewers. For now, Amazon is testing early versions with a small group of users, and feedback could still reshape the final layout. Whether Lighthouse actually eases your scrolling fatigue, or just dresses it up differently, is something you'll only know once it lands on your screen.

Jeff Bezos reportedly pushing for Prime Video overhaul that puts AI front and center

Prime Video could be getting an AI overhaul at the behest of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, according to a new report. The redesign would put AI front and center under a new project allegedly dubbed Lighthouse. Reuters reports that the push from Bezos is meant as a way for Amazon to utilize its massive investments in AI and "elevate the company's stature in artificial intelligence." This comes as other investments, including improving the Alexa voice assistant, have provided mixed results and ongoing losses. Bezos was "displeased" with a Prime Video presentation last fall where AI was not highlighted. The Lighthouse project was born out of this meeting. What does Lighthouse add to Prime Video? Bezos is said to be personally involved in the overhaul, an unusual step considering he relinquished the CEO title in 2021 to focus on the Washington Post and his spaceflight company Blue Origin. Per Reuters, Lighthouse would add a slew of new features that would use AI to improve film and TV show recommendations. This would be done by having the AI learn customer preferences and respond to spoken requests. A homepage redesign is part of the project, but it's not finalized, so it's not known how it would look yet. However, it was suggested that it could include AI-driven titles with viewing suggestions like "Christmas rom-coms" or "action movies from the 1980s." Reportedly, a current version doesn't include text-heavy titles, so that even that appears to still be in the air. Programs and live events like Thursday Night Football would still be promoted in the upper portion of the platform alongside the traditional search bar. Amazon is also supposedly attempting to integrate Alexa into Prime Video's search function as part of the redesign. Most recently, Alexa was overhauled into a generative AI version last year and integrated into the Amazon shopping platform earlier this year. Where Prime Video stands Amazon last gave Prime Video a massive update in July of 2024 that streamlined content curation and added AI recommendations. The most recent Nielsen data from 2025 has Prime Video in a distant eighth place in TV viewing share behind YouTube, Netflix and Disney+ at 3.9% of viewers. Reuters reports that it's bumped up to 4.2% this year, though still behind Netflix and Disney. An AI overhaul could be a way for the company to utilize both its artificial intelligence investments and increase viewership with more personalized recommendations. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

Jeff Bezos Wants to Give This Popular Streaming Service an AI Makeover

Amazon is already testing out the new design with a small group of people. Amazon has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on AI. This year alone, the tech giant committed about $200 billion in capital spending tied largely to AI infrastructure and poured $25 billion into leading AI startup Anthropic. Now Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos wants visible proof that this massive bet can pay off. To accomplish this aim, he is turning to the company's popular streaming service Prime Video, which has more than 200 million viewers. According to a recent Reuters report, Bezos asked Prime Video head Mike Hopkins to redesign the streaming service to showcase the company's sprawling investments in AI. Amazon employees internally call the project Lighthouse because it intends to bring Amazon's AI capabilities to light and act as a beacon for its AI ambitions. A heated meeting led to an overhaul Lighthouse emerged from an internal presentation Prime Video executives made to Bezos last fall, per Reuters. The meeting grew contentious because Bezos was not satisfied with Hopkins' ideas to update Prime Video, per Reuters. Bezos wanted the executive to emphasize AI capabilities and personalization through the platform. Reuters reports that Bezos directed Hopkins to overhaul the home screen and core user experience so that AI recommendations sit at the center of the app, not buried in side recommendations or secondary menus. Prime Video uses two main avenues to decide what users see first on the main screen: paid placements from studios and software-driven recommendations based on what users have watched before. If Amazon changes that system so the screen is driven more by personalization, it could disrupt the current way studios get visibility for their content, Michael Goodman, director of entertainment research for Parks Associates, told Reuters. "The real estate on the ⁠home screen is very valuable to studios, so it would be a big change to take away any of that coveted space," Goodman said. Inside Lighthouse plans The Lighthouse redesign would move Prime Video away from its familiar grid of tiles and promotion slots toward a dynamic feed curated in real-time by Amazon's algorithms. The company has new AI features in the works that improve movie and show recommendations, partly by understanding user preferences and responding to spoken requests. Amazon is developing features like AI-generated thumbnails, better browsing prompts, such as "action movies from the 1980s" or "Christmas rom-coms" and closer integration with Alexa voice search. People with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that Prime Video will have a redesigned main home page as part of Lighthouse. The standard search function would be the same. There will also still be space at the top of the screen for video promotions of new releases or sporting events. Amazon is already trying out the new design with a small group of people, per Reuters. The company's plans could change once Amazon gathers feedback from early users.

Amazon's Bezos pushes Prime Video redesign focused on AI

Jeff Bezos is pushing Prime Video's overhaul to highlight Amazon's AI. The project, known as Lighthouse, aims to showcase AI for millions of users. This initiative seeks to elevate Amazon's standing in the competitive AI landscape. New features will improve content recommendations and respond to spoken requests. Bezos' personal involvement underscores the strategic importance of this AI integration. Jeff Bezos has identified a new, high-profile platform to help showcase the hundreds of billions of dollars Amazon has bet on artificial intelligence: Prime Video. The Amazon founder and executive chairman pushed Prime Video head Mike Hopkins to overhaul the streaming service so that AI is front and center, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. The resulting project, known internally as Lighthouse, would shine a light on Amazon's AI capabilities for the more than 200 million consumers who use Prime Video. Lighthouse is viewed as one critical piece in Amazon's companywide efforts to elevate the company's stature in artificial intelligence, as competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic speed ahead, the people said. Other AI initiatives, such as the multiyear overhaul of its Alexa voice assistant to provide more conversational responses, have had mixed results and the unit is still losing money, people familiar with the matter have previously told Reuters. Amazon declined to comment. Contentious meeting sparked overhaul The Prime Video initiative ⁠grew out ⁠of an internal presentation the streaming service's executives made to Bezos last autumn that turned contentious, according to these people. Bezos was displeased that Hopkins' plans to update Prime Video failed to sufficiently highlight the service's capabilities in AI and personalization, according to the people. Bezos' response prompted the Prime Video executives to scrap their previous plans and embark on Lighthouse. The company has committed some $200 billion to capital expenditures this year, related primarily to developing AI, and invested an initial $23 billion in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Anthropic combined, with the potential for upwards of another $40 billion. Lighthouse entails a broad swath of new features that use AI to improve film and TV recommendations, in part by learning consumers' preferences, and responding to spoken requests, according to one person with knowledge of the project who spoke on condition of anonymity. Prime Video is working on redesigning the main home page as part of the project, the other people said. The final redesign has not yet been settled, but one option Prime Video executives discussed includes AI-driven tiles, with pre-populated viewing suggestions like "action movies from the 1980s" or "Christmas rom-coms," three ⁠of the people said. Another source said a current version does not include text-heavy tiles. The traditional search function would remain, as well as space at the top of the screen for video highlights promoting new releases or sporting events, such as "Thursday Night Football," the weekly National Football League game that is exclusive to Amazon. Amazon is already testing versions of the redesign with a few users, ⁠said one of the people. Prime Video's plans, the people said, could change due to feedback from early testers, or financial or other concerns. Prime Video, like other streaming services, relies on paid placement by studios, as well as software algorithms, to dictate where content is displayed on the home screen, said Michael Goodman, director of entertainment research for Parks Associates. Any change to that, including through greater personalization, could upend that system, he said. "The real estate on the home screen is very valuable to studios, so it would be a big change to take away any of that coveted space," said Goodman. Founder's personal involvement Bezos has been personally involved in the Prime Video overhaul, the people said, including receiving occasional updates, underscoring the stakes for a company battling a reputation for subpar AI foundation models. Improved personalization can lead to more hours spent on the service. His involvement with the Prime Video project is unusual as he has taken a step back from most day-to-day operations at Amazon since relinquishing the CEO title in 2021. He also owns the Washington Post and is the founder of spaceflight firm Blue Origin and AI startup Prometheus, reportedly valued at around $41 billion. He has focused more of his attention on those projects. Prime Video is one of Amazon's best-known brands and is available to consumers in a number of markets where Amazon has limited or no e-commerce presence. Beyond no-cost shipping, Prime Video is the Prime subscription's most-used offering. As part of the Lighthouse project, Amazon has also discussed integrating the Alexa voice assistant into Prime Video's search function, the people said. Amazon in early ⁠2025 released an overhauled generative AI version of Alexa, and integrated it into its main shopping site in May 2026. Kam Keshmiri, global head of the Prime Video design, was also at the meeting with Bezos and is now leading the Lighthouse redesign, the people said. Prime video's market position In the U.S., Prime Video is the fourth most-watched streaming service, but it is prized by Bezos, who frequents high-profile Hollywood events and owns a $165 million home in Beverly Hills. Amazon became the first streaming service to win an Academy Award in a major category. The company deepened its commitment to entertainment in 2022 when it paid $8.5 billion to buy MGM, giving it access to many well-known entertainment franchises, including James Bond. Prime Video's 4.2% share of television viewing in the U.S. trails YouTube with 13.4%, Netflix at 7.8% and Walt Disney's Disney+ at 5%, according to April data from Nielsen. Still, many Prime Video members spend hours a week consuming content on the platform, and the company wants to further hone its personalization capabilities through AI. The service released a significant redesign in July 2024, aimed at making it easier for users to distinguish between what content is free and what costs extra, such as subscriptions to Paramount+ and TV shows and movies that require a rental fee. Amazon wants Prime Video to be users' central hub for paid subscriptions.

Amazon Revamping Prime Video to Spotlight AI | PYMNTS.com

Jeff Bezos has urged Prime Video boss Mike Hopkins to revamp the streaming service to make artificial intelligence (AI) a starring role, Reuters reported Thursday (July 23), citing four sources with direct knowledge of the matter. That led to an in-house project called Lighthouse, which would give the more than 200 million people who use Prime Video a better glimpse at Amazon's AI capabilities, which the company has spent hundreds of billions of dollars developing. PYMNTS has contacted Amazon for comment but has not yet gotten a reply. Reuters sources said Lighthouse is seen as a key part of Amazon's efforts to boost its standing in the AI space amid competition from the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic. Other projects, like the long-running upgrade of Amazon's Alexa voice assistant to offer more conversational responses, have produced mixed results, with that division still losing money, sources have told Reuters. According to Reuters' sources, the Prime Video project came after a presentation the streaming service's executives made to Bezos last fall turned "contentious," with Bezos unhappy that plans for an updated Prime Video did not effectively spotlight the service's AI/personalization capabilities. This led the company to jettison its original plans and launch Lighthouse. In other Amazon news, PYMNTS wrote last week about new PYMNTS Intelligence research showing that while Walmart continues to dominate when it comes to routine shopping trips -- especially for groceries -- Amazon is gaining in purchases consumers research, plan and have delivered. "The findings point to a broader change in consumer behavior: Shoppers are more often choosing the retailer that best fits each purchase rather than just making purchases where it is most convenient," the report said. "That creates fresh opportunities for merchants that can connect physical stores, digital experiences and flexible payment options into one seamless journey." The research also found an "inversion of traditional retail logic," PYMNTS wrote. Retailers have long seen the weekly shopping trip as the foundation for bigger purchases, though new data indicates that relationship has softened. Customers still turn to Walmart for day-to-day essentials, but are increasingly relying on Amazon for more deliberate, higher-value purchases. "In other words, frequent store traffic no longer guarantees a larger share of discretionary spending," the report added. "As shoppers become more comfortable moving between physical stores and digital channels, retailers have an opportunity to rethink how they connect in-store visits with online engagement, personalized offers and payment experiences that encourage customers to complete more of their shopping in one ecosystem."

Amazon's Bezos pushes Prime Video redesign focused on AI: Reuters exclusive

Jeff Bezos has identified a new, high-profile platform to help showcase the hundreds of billions of dollars Amazon has bet on artificial intelligence: Prime Video. The Amazon founder and executive chairman pushed Prime Video head Mike Hopkins to overhaul the streaming service so that AI is front and center, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter. The resulting project, known internally as Lighthouse, would shine a light on Amazon's AI capabilities for the more than 200 million consumers who use Prime Video. Lighthouse is viewed as one critical piece in Amazon's companywide efforts to elevate the company's stature in artificial intelligence, as competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic speed ahead, the people said. Other AI initiatives, such as the multiyear overhaul of its Alexa voice assistant to provide more conversational responses, have had mixed results and the unit is still losing money, people familiar with the matter have previously told Reuters. Amazon declined to comment. Contentious meeting sparked overhaul The Prime Video initiative grew out of an internal presentation the streaming service's executives made to Bezos last autumn that turned contentious, according to these people. Bezos was displeased that Hopkins' plans to update Prime Video failed to sufficiently highlight the service's capabilities in AI and personalization, according to the people. Bezos' response prompted the Prime Video executives to scrap their previous plans and embark on Lighthouse. The company has committed some US$200 billion to capital expenditures this year, related primarily to developing AI, and invested an initial US$23 billion in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Anthropic combined, with the potential for upwards of another US$40 billion. Lighthouse entails a broad swath of new features that use AI to improve film and TV recommendations, in part by learning consumers' preferences, and responding to spoken requests, according to one person with knowledge of the project who spoke on condition of anonymity. Prime Video is working on redesigning the main home page as part of the project, the other people said. The final redesign has not yet been settled, but one option Prime Video executives discussed includes AI-driven tiles, with pre-populated viewing suggestions like "action movies from the 1980s" or "Christmas rom-coms," three of the people said. Another source said a current version does not include text-heavy tiles. The traditional search function would remain, as well as space at the top of the screen for video highlights promoting new releases or sporting events, such as "Thursday Night Football," the weekly National Football League game that is exclusive to Amazon. Amazon is already testing versions of the redesign with a few users, said one of the people. Prime Video's plans, the people said, could change due to feedback from early testers, or financial or other concerns. Prime Video, like other streaming services, relies on paid placement by studios, as well as software algorithms, to dictate where content is displayed on the home screen, said Michael Goodman, director of entertainment research for Parks Associates. Any change to that, including through greater personalization, could upend that system, he said. "The real estate on the home screen is very valuable to studios, so it would be a big change to take away any of that coveted space," said Goodman. Founder's personal involvement Bezos has been personally involved in the Prime Video overhaul, the people said, including receiving occasional updates, underscoring the stakes for a company battling a reputation for subpar AI foundation models. Improved personalization can lead to more hours spent on the service. His involvement with the Prime Video project is unusual as he has taken a step back from most day-to-day operations at Amazon since relinquishing the CEO title in 2021. He also owns the Washington Post and is the founder of spaceflight firm Blue Origin and AI startup Prometheus, reportedly valued at around US$41 billion. He has focused more of his attention on those projects. Prime Video is one of Amazon's best-known brands and is available to consumers in a number of markets where Amazon has limited or no e-commerce presence. Beyond no-cost shipping, Prime Video is the Prime subscription's most-used offering. As part of the Lighthouse project, Amazon has also discussed integrating the Alexa voice assistant into Prime Video's search function, the people said. Amazon in early 2025 released an overhauled generative AI version of Alexa, and integrated it into its main shopping site in May 2026. Kam Keshmiri, global head of the Prime Video design, was also at the meeting with Bezos and is now leading the Lighthouse redesign, the people said. Prime Video's market position In the U.S., Prime Video is the fourth most-watched streaming service, but it is prized by Bezos, who frequents high-profile Hollywood events and owns a US$165 million home in Beverly Hills. Amazon became the first streaming service to win an Academy Award in a major category. The company deepened its commitment to entertainment in 2022 when it paid US$8.5 billion to buy MGM, giving it access to many well-known entertainment franchises, including James Bond. Prime Video's 4.2 per cent share of television viewing in the U.S. trails YouTube with 13.4 per cent, Netflix at 7.8 per cent and Walt Disney's Disney+ at five per cent, according to April data from Nielsen. Still, many Prime Video members spend hours a week consuming content on the platform, and the company wants to further hone its personalization capabilities through AI. The service released a significant redesign in July 2024, aimed at making it easier for users to distinguish between what content is free and what costs extra, such as subscriptions to Paramount+ and TV shows and movies that require a rental fee. Amazon wants Prime Video to be users' central hub for paid subscriptions.