Amazon Music on Tuesday launched Topics, a new artificial intelligence feature that makes it easy to discover other relevant podcasts based on the topics discussed in a specific episode.
AI generates hashtag buttons with the help of human reviewers after analyzing podcast transcripts and descriptions to identify key themes. Located below each episode description, clicking on any tag will produce a list of podcast episodes related to that topic.
For example, Amazon shared a screenshot of a segment on the Amazon Music mobile app that talks about the role of caffeine as a drug Things you should know podcast. Titled “Choice: The Dual Nature of Caffeine,” Amazon added three hashtags below the product description: “caffeine,” “coffee,” and “dopamine.”
Currently, the feature is only available to U.S. customers using the latest version of the Amazon Music mobile app on iOS or Android. It’s currently launching on Top Podcasts, although Amazon plans to expand it to other podcasts.
With Topics, Amazon may be trying to keep up with Spotify. In November, the competitor announced it had begun using artificial intelligence tools from Google Cloud to analyze its podcasts and audiobooks. The goal is to provide better personalized recommendations, after users noticed that Spotify’s suggestions for related podcasts on the home screen and under its “More Like This section” weren’t always relevant.
Correction on August 6: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Amazon Music launched the feature on Wednesday. Amazon Music actually announced the news on Tuesday.