Google is currently testing a new AI-powered search experience for YouTube that aims to make content discovery more conversational. This is an experimental feature that is currently available to a limited number of YouTube Premium users in the United States aged 18 and up. According to reports, a few users have already received the Ask YouTube option within the search interface.
Users can now enter queries in natural language and receive a combination of AI-generated summaries, curated long-form videos, Shorts, and contextual highlights. Rather than the traditional search result, the feature offers an overview of the topic that includes key points followed by the relevant video segments and content collections.
For example, a search for the Apollo 11 Moon Landing will first offer a brief summary including milestones, related videos and Shorts. Further, the users can also continue the interaction by asking more questions.
The feature also includes additional queries, which encourage deeper exploration of topics. However, early testing indicates that, while AI summaries are generally useful, they may occasionally contain inaccuracies, emphasising the importance of users verifying information.
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The company has already implemented similar AI experiences in other products and is rumoured to expand this YouTube experiment beyond Premium users in the future. If it gets rolled out, the feature can change the way how users interact with video content.