AI Andy Cohen Is Coming to Bravo Via Peacock’s New AI-Powered Series

Peacock is introducing several new features aimed at people who watch shows on their phones. The streaming service is focusing on vertical videos and interactive content to make viewing more engaging.

One of the biggest additions is called “Your Bravoverse.” It’s a hub for fans of Bravo shows, helping them catch up on storylines and understand ongoing drama. At the center of the Bravoverse is an AI version of Andy Cohen. This digital Andy will explain past events and current happenings on shows like The Real Housewives. Viewers will first see a video of the real Andy Cohen introducing the AI version. When the avatar speaks, it will clearly be labeled as AI.

“We label it generative with AI because we don’t want anyone to think, ‘is that Andy, or is that not Andy?’ I think it’s a version of Andy, is the way to think about it, that is being personalized with AI,” said John Jelley, senior vice president of product and UX for Peacock.

“The reason we’re using AI is to create those billions of variants,” Jelley added. “If we got Andy in a booth, we might be able to create some variants, but creating on a daily basis and a weekly basis this much content that’s relevant to you is really the reason we’re using AI.”

Peacock is also adding AI-powered features for live sports. Fans can watch NBA games with a camera that adjusts automatically for vertical viewing. This tech may expand to other sports in the future.

Gaming is another area Peacock is growing. The platform will have mobile games like Jeopardy! and a new Law & Order game called Law & Order: Clue Hunter. Another game, Public Eye, will launch later this year. The games are part of Peacock’s effort to keep content inside the app rather than requiring separate downloads. Wolf Games, led by Elliot Wolf, the son of Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, is developing the crime games.

Peacock has about 44 million subscribers in the U.S., which is smaller than competitors like Hulu and Paramount+. But NBCUniversal says it is focusing more on engagement and watch time than just growing subscriber numbers. Matt Strauss, chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, explained: “Most people tend to focus on subscribers as the litmus test. We really focus on time. This is where the battle is going to be.”

Strauss added that all the new features are designed to “super-serve fans, be the home for fandom, and continue to find ways to drive more engagement across all of our content.”

The new updates will be available first on mobile and later on the Peacock TV app. The company hopes the changes will make watching shows, sports, and playing games more fun and interactive for viewers.

Using AI to create an Andy Cohen avatar is an interesting way to make shows more accessible and interactive. It could be fun for fans to catch up on storylines in a new way. But it also raises questions about how AI will change the way we experience TV personalities. What do you think about this AI Andy Cohen? Share your thoughts in the comments.