YouTube is testing an AI-powered search feature that shows guided answers
YouTube is rolling out the new AI search feature to Premium subscribers in the U.S. on an opt-in basis.
Users often search for recipes and travel plans on YouTube to find videos related to their queries. Now, the video platform will offer a new tool to cater to those usersβ needs with its introduction of an AI-powered interactive search feature that presents step-by-step results along with a mix of both text and video.
Through this new βAsk YouTubeβ feature, users can ask questions like βplan a 3-day road trip from San Francisco to Santa Barbaraβ and get step-by-step results, which would be a mix of text, short videos, and longer videos instead of just video results. The company says it will show videos and relevant video segments with titles and channel details to help users discover new creators.
Whatβs more, users can ask follow-up questions like βWhere can I get good coffee?β and get suggestions in a similar style.
The feature is available to Premium subscribers in the U.S. who are aged 18 or older. (Interested users will need to opt into this experiment through this URL.) Google noted that it is working on making this feature available to non-Premium users, as well.
Google has been pushing its AI mode-styled search on multiple surfaces beyond YouTube. The company introduced AI mode last year, letting users ask multi-part questions and follow-ups. This year, it introduced side-by-side web browsing and product price exploration features for AI mode. The company also introduced Geminiβs Canvas feature to maintain projects within AI mode last month.
With this new feature test on YouTube, Google could later explore surfacing different kinds of videos and, along with sponsored placements.
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