YouTube Reportedly Testing Conversational “Ask YouTube” Search Experience

In the past few months, YouTube has been rolling out a few new features and testing a bunch of experimental ones lately. Earlier this month, the video streaming platform announced that it will start showing image posts and carousels in your Shorts feed as part of the latest experiment involving some creators. Now, according to a report by The Verge, the company has started testing a new feature that “that feels more like a conversation.”

The “Ask YouTube” feature mimics the functionality AI Mode

YouTube is now experimenting with a new AI-powered search feature that feels more like a conversation than a traditional query. The feature, currently available to select Premium users in the US, introduces an “Ask YouTube” button directly inside the search bar.

Once enabled, users can type natural questions instead of keywords. For example, when you enter prompts as seen below, the Ask YouTube feature to generate a full response page. Interestingly, you are not just provided with list of videos. In fact, YouTube combines text summaries, long-form videos, and Shorts into a single, structured result.

From the looks of it, the AI generates a quick overview at the top, followed by curated video sections such as key moments, related clips, and even Shorts grouped around the topic. It also suggests follow-up questions, allowing users continue the search without starting over.

Image credit: The Verge

AI summaries meet video search, but accuracy still a concern

Google has long relied on AI summaries for Search now, and it seems YouTube is moving in that direction too. If the company went on to roll out this feature to masses, it could change how users interact with content on the platform. Speaking of rollout, the feature is currently limited to YouTube Premium users aged 18 and above in the US. But YouTube says it’s already working on expanding access beyond that group.

All that said, early testing suggests the system isn’t perfect. In some cases, the AI-generated summaries reportedly included factual errors, which raises questions around reliability. That’s something we’ve already seen with AI search tools elsewhere, and YouTube doesn’t seem immune to it.