OpenAI partners with JioHotstar to bring ChatGPT-powered voice search to Indian streaming

OpenAI, Reliance partner to add AI search to JioHotstar | TechCrunch

OpenAI is partnering with Reliance to add AI-powered conversational search to the Indian conglomerate's streaming service JioHotstar. The feature, which is powered by OpenAI's API, will let users search for movies, shows and live sports using text and voice prompts in multiple languages, and receive recommendations based on their preferences and history. OpenAI has recently expanded its footprint in India, which is home to more than 100 million weekly ChatGPT users. The company plans to open offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru later this year, adding to its current office in New Delhi. The partnership was announced at the ongoing India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where Altman is appearing alongside industry leaders, including Anthropic's Dario Amodei and Google's Sundar Pichai. The companies also plan to extend the partnership to surface JioHotstar recommendations directly within ChatGPT, allowing users who search for entertainment through ChatGPT to receive contextual suggestions and deep links into the platform's catalogue. The move positions the integration as a two-way discovery layer rather than a standalone in-app feature. The move comes as streaming and TV platforms increasingly experiment with conversational interfaces. Netflix said in May 2025 it was testing a new search experience using OpenAI's ChatGPT to help viewers find content through natural language, while Google in November introduced Gemini-powered discovery features for its Google TV platform. Fidji Simo, chief executive of applications at OpenAI, said the partnership is aimed at bringing more personalized AI experiences into entertainment and live sports, enabling viewers to move "from curiosity to context" through natural interactions. Embedding AI into content discovery will help reshape how audiences find and engage with programming, said Uday Shankar, vice chairperson of JioStar. The rollout will span both live and on-demand formats, the companies said. The JioHotstar partnership is part of OpenAI's broader "OpenAI for India" push to deepen its presence in the South Asian nation through infrastructure, enterprise, and education partnerships. Other moves under the initiative include collaborations with the Tata Group on AI-ready data centers and enterprise deployments, as well as agreements with Indian companies such as Pine Labs, Eternal, and MakeMyTrip.

New JioHotstar Feature: Use ChatGPT to Discover Live Sports and Shows

The ChatGPT-powered assistant also extends to live sports queries Indian streaming platform JioHotstar announced a partnership with Sam Altman-led OpenAI on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit on Thursday. As part of the move, a ChatGPT-powered voice and text assistant will be integrated directly into the JioHotstar app. As per the AI chatbot maker, the new multilingual discovery tool can help users find content through natural language conversations. It is positioned to replace traditional keyword search and endless scrolling with contextual, personalised recommendations. ChatGPT-JioHotstar Partnership At the core of the partnership is a ChatGPT-powered interface built using OpenAI APIs, JioHotstar explained in a press note. While the two companies have not disclosed the technical specifications, the multilingual discovery tool is believed to combine text-generation capabilities with speech-to-text and text-to-speech APIs, to support voice interactions. Consequently, the feature enables what JioHotstar and OpenAI describe as 'Multilingual Cognitive Search'. This is claimed to allow users to simply speak or type their intent, including a mood, a situation, a genre preference, or even a highly specific scenario, and the discovery tool will provide context-aware recommendations instantly. The integration enables voice and text interactions across multiple Indian languages, Providing an example, JioHotstar explained that users can say, "My parents are visiting, suggest something we can all watch together," or "We are twins and only watch movies about identical twins." Instead of matching rigid keywords, the AI will be able to interpret the nuance, cultural context, and layered prompts to surface relevant titles from JioHotstar's catalogue. The streaming platform claims that the ChatGPT-powered assistant will not only recommend what users explicitly ask for, but can also anticipate the related content they may not have considered, promising to tackle the "what to watch" dilemma. In addition to on-demand content, the multilingual discovery tool extends into live sports, too. As per JioHotstar, users can conversationally ask for key moments, player highlights, scores, or contextual insights in real time during live matches. "Viewers can move seamlessly from watching to asking, from curiosity to context, and from exploration to recommendation in ways that feel natural, personal, and immediately useful," Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI, said in a statement. JioHotstar said that the rollout will begin with select live and on-demand experiences before expanding in phases across the platform.

JioHotstar brings ChatGPT voice assistant to help you decide what to watch

JioHotstar is introducing a new voice assistant powered by ChatGPT. Viewers can now discover movies, shows, and live sports by speaking their preferences. This feature allows for natural language queries across multiple languages. It aims to make content discovery more interactive and personalized. The integration will also provide JioHotstar recommendations when using ChatGPT. Not sure what to watch tonight? Instead of endless scrolling, you may soon just have to say it out loud. JioHotstar has partnered with OpenAI to roll out a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant that lets viewers discover movies, shows and even live sports moments by simply speaking to the app. Also Read: Eternal partners with OpenAI to deepen AI integration across Zomato, Blinkit, District The new feature introduces what the companies call multilingual cognitive search, allowing users to describe their mood, company or context in natural language -- across languages -- and get instant, context-aware recommendations. So if your parents are visiting and you need something everyone can agree on, or if you and your girl gang want to have a chick flick night, you can just say whatever you're in the mood for. The assistant is said to be designed to move beyond rigid keyword search and interpret layered prompts, offering suggestions users may not have explicitly asked for. According to JioHotstar, the voice-based discovery will extend to live sports as well, enabling viewers to ask for key moments, scores, player highlights or match context without leaving the stream. Uday Shankar, Vice Chairman of JioStar, said artificial intelligence represents a "transformative shift" for media and entertainment, reshaping everything from production to monetisation. Also Read: OpenAI plans new offices in Mumbai and Bengaluru "As a tech-native, user-first platform, JioStar is embedding AI at the very core of the user experience. Our partnership with OpenAI will allow viewers to discover, engage with, and even curate content simply using their voice," he said, calling it a "fundamental reimagining" of entertainment. Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI, said AI changes entertainment from a passive, one-way experience into something more interactive and conversational. "Through our partnership with JioHotstar, we're bringing personalised AI directly into entertainment and live sports," she said. "Viewers can move seamlessly from watching to asking, from curiosity to context, and from exploration to recommendation." The rollout will begin with select live and on-demand experiences before expanding in phases. The integration will also work the other way around. Users who ask ChatGPT for entertainment suggestions will receive contextual recommendations and streaming links from JioHotstar's catalogue, extending discovery beyond the app.

JioHotstar partners with OpenAI to roll out ChatGPT-powered voice and text search: How it works

Users can also ask live sports questions and get instant updates, highlights and recommendations. JioHotstar on Wednesday announced a partnership with OpenAI to introduce a ChatGPT-branded voice and text interface on its streaming platform in India. The companies said that with this newfound partnership, they want to make a shift in how viewers discover content online. With this new feature, people can find movies, TV shows, and live sports by simply talking or typing in normal, everyday language. They won't need to scroll through menus or type exact keywords anymore. The feature will first be available for some live and on-demand content, and then it will slowly expand to more areas. Additionally, both companies said the update is designed to simplify the viewing experience by helping audiences more easily choose what to watch. The feature will offer personalised recommendations tailored to users' preferences, including their favourite genres, preferred languages, and typical viewing habits. The new interface, powered by OpenAI's application programming interfaces, brings conversational search to what JioHotstar describes as India's largest streaming library. Users can speak or type requests in multiple languages and receive suggestions that take into account mood, situation and audience. Also read: India AI Impact Summit 2026: Adobe unveils free Firefly, Photoshop access for Indian students The system acts as a smart and conversational companion that understands the intent behind your requests rather than just matching keywords. Instead of scrolling through endless menus, you can describe a specific situation. For example, if you ask for a movie that won't be awkward to watch with your parents, the system identifies the right tone and cultural boundaries for you. It can even dig into specific themes, such as stories featuring twins, by looking past basic genres to find exactly what you are looking for. Also read: Nothing Phone 4a Pro and Phone 4a India launch next month: Check expected specs and price When it comes to live sports, the system transforms into a real-time expert sitting on the couch next to you. Rather than waiting for a post-game recap, you can ask for instant updates on scores, player statistics, or video highlights while the game is still in progress. Essentially, it removes the friction of traditional searching by interpreting your natural language and providing instant, relevant results based on what's happening in the moment. Also read: Google Pixel 9a vs Pixel 10a: Price, design, display, camera, performance and all other specifications compared Uday Shankar, Vice Chairman of JioStar, said artificial intelligence is reshaping the media and entertainment industry across production, discovery and monetisation. He added that the partnership embeds AI at the core of the platform's user experience. Fidji Simo, Chief Executive Officer of Applications at OpenAI, said the collaboration aims to make entertainment more interactive by allowing viewers to move from watching to asking questions and receiving instant responses. Beyond the streaming app, the companies plan to extend the partnership to ChatGPT itself. Users who search for entertainment recommendations within ChatGPT will receive contextual suggestions along with links from JioHotstar's catalogue. Lastly, the companies also stated that the integration will evolve over time, as more features will be introduced in stages soon.