YouTube is rolling out new AI-powered features that help users find content and information more easily, the company announced Thursday. The platform launches Carousel with AI-powered search results similar to Google's AI overview, testing conversational AI with more users.
New AI-powered search results available only to premium US YouTube users Carousel, offers videos suggestions and displays simple AI-generated topic descriptions to help users find what they're looking for faster.
According to YouTube, Carousel AI-powered search results will appear in searches related to shopping, locations, or doing things in a particular location. For example, if you search for something like “the best beach in Hawaii,” you will be able to see clips from videos that will help you plan your vacation, featuring AI-generated carousels highlighting clips from videos that showcase the best snorkel spots and volcanic beaches.
Image credits: YouTube
This new feature is very similar to Google's AI overview. This is a tool that provides an AI-generated summary of search results at the top of the Google Search Results page. AI-powered search results Carousel mitigates user discovery, but it can be an unwelcome change for creators as it relies on engagement to earn revenue on its platform.
For example, if you can get the information you need directly from Carousel, an AI-powered search result, you may not feel the need to click on the video.
The AI-powered search results will be released two weeks after a report from the Wall Street Journal revealed that Google's AI overview and other AI-powered tools are devastating traffic for news publishers. YouTube creators may be concerned that the new Carousel feature can reduce video engagement, just as Google Search's AI overview is less referral to news sites.
Regarding YouTube's conversational AI tools, Google-owned platforms have announced that they will be made available to some non-premium users. The conversation tool, first launched in late 2023, uses AI to enable users to get more information about the video, content recommendations and overviews. It can also be used to quizzify yourself about important concepts in academic videos.
Image credits: YouTube
At launch, YouTube explained that tool responses are generated by a large language model that utilizes information from YouTube and the web. The answers are designed to help viewers dig deeper into the content they are watching.
For example, if you are watching a roller skate dance tutorial, the conversational AI tool will ask if you want to “summary video” or “recommended related content.” You can also ask your own questions, such as, “What is the song in this video?” This tool provides details such as the song title, artist, genre, and more.