Global streamer Cineverse has launched an AI-powered search and discovery tool called cineSearch. Developed using the Vertex AI platform from Google Cloud, cineSearch will be released in public beta this spring. A waitlist has already been started, and Cineverse says it will be made more widely available in partnership with OEM and third-party streaming platform partners in the coming months. Simultaneously, the Los Angeles-based firm is rolling out a new ad platform called Cineverse 360, or C360 for short, that will connect brands across omnichannel services reaching 82 million monthly viewers at launch.

“The new tool  — which comes with an artificial intelligence-based video advisor known as Ava (below) — will find programming across all streaming platforms, not just the Cineverse,” reports Broadcasting & Cable.

TV Tech adds that “the launch of Cineverse’s AI-powered search feature will utilize the first proprietary movie industry-specific AI model specifically tuned with an extensive set of metadata — both standard metadata as well as computer vision-based enriched, contextual metadata (such as weather or setting) — across more than 100,000 Hollywood movies and television shows,” according to the company.

“Effective search and discovery is currently the most pressing problem for users of streaming services today,” Cineverse CTO and COO Tony Huidor said in an announcement. “We feel this is a great example of leveraging the power of AI to not only create better user experiences, but to also help aid in the discovery of great films that fans may not have otherwise found.”

Anil Jain, global managing director of strategic consumer industries for Google Cloud said that cineSearch will use Google Cloud’s GenAI capabilities to “further personalize and streamline the user experience, providing viewers a vastly improved way to discover new content, with relevant recommendations.”

Meanwhile, a separate press release explains that C360 will offer custom marketing integrations and advertising across display, social, experiential in-person events and connected TV on the company’s owned and operated FAST channels and on the Cineverse Podcast Network.

As part of the new initiative, the Cineverse 360 Audience Network will, beginning in Q2, offer advertisers “a scalable solution for reaching enthusiast audiences across a network of Cineverse and third-party publishers,” the company says, listing companies including Philo, Plex, Samsung TV Plus, Vizio and Xumo as participating at launch, with “active conversations to expand the network significantly throughout 2024.”

Industry veteran Terry City — who has led sales and partnership divisions at Variety, Yahoo Entertainment, BuzzFeed and others — has been named SVP and head of Cineverse 360.