If there’s one thing Indian OTT platforms have perfected, it’s taking a simple customer query and turning it into a masterclass on how not to use AI.
A user recently pointed out something genuinely interesting, in India, Airtel offers a bundled plan at just $3.15 a month that includes access to Netflix, JioHotstar, ZEE5, SonyLIV, and Lionsgate. It’s a massive value proposition, something worth celebrating. But instead of acknowledging this or even offering a relevant follow-up, ZEE5’s AI chatbot responded with a template message asking for a user ID and a ticket number… for a non-existent issue.
This wasn’t customer service. This was a bot reacting to keywords the way a malfunctioning elevator reacts to random button mashing.
And this is the core problem with AI-driven customer interaction on OTT platforms today: no context, no comprehension, no common sense. Users say one thing, chatbots hear another. A comment about pricing or features becomes a “technical complaint.” A compliment becomes a “service request.” A simple observation gets filed as a “ticket.”
In a crowded streaming market where users juggle multiple apps, what people want is simple: competent support, not robotic confusion. But platforms seem more interested in deploying AI because it’s fashionable rather than because it actually improves user experience.
Instead of solving problems faster, these chatbots often create new layers of friction, irrelevant replies, dead-end loops, and copy-paste empathy that reads like a malfunctioning script.
If OTT platforms want loyalty, they can’t treat user conversations like automated spam filters. AI needs training, nuance, and human oversight, not blind deployment.
Because right now? These chatbots aren’t enhancing the OTT experience. They’re derailing it.