YouTube Tests AI-Powered 'Ask YouTube' Conversational Search Feature

[MacRumors]

YouTube is testing a new search feature that it says is meant to feel more like a conversation than a search interface. Users are able to ask complex questions in natural language, receive results that include video and text, and then ask follow-up questions.

The new search option is part of YouTube Labs, an opt-in program that lets YouTube Premium subscribers gain early access to experimental features and prototypes. YouTube Labs is available to U.S. users, and subscribers sign up on the YouTube Labs website.

According to YouTube, subscribers who opt in to try the new search can enter a prompt in the search bar, like "plan a 3-day road trip between San Francisco and Santa Barbara," and then select the Ask YouTube option to get the results. Search results include AI summary text, short videos, and long videos, with relevant segments in videos highlighted.

The Ask YouTube search interface suggests some search prompts, such as "unique ideas for a backyard water feature," "plan a living room redesign using thrifted items," and "how to make a traditional French omelet."

Other YouTube Labs features in testing right now include Beyond the Beat AI details when listening to radio and mixes in the YouTube Music app, and VibeCheck, an AI coaching feature that provides tips on Shorts videos before they're published.

The updated search feature will be in testing until June 8.

Article Link: YouTube Tests AI-Powered 'Ask YouTube' Conversational Search Feature

 

[Sill]

Ask YouTube: "Filter out AI slop videos from any prompt I give you"

(Watch search results dwindle down to about 10 videos for any given prompt...)

 

[Neko1500]

A conversational AI interface for YouTube… asked for by no one!

No one wants this.

 

[hieranonymous]

They implemented a conversational AI summary thingy into the iOS and tvOS versions several weeks ago.

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

Instead of "Hey Siri", we'll say "Yo Tube".

 

[jsavvy]

How is this different than simply using google/gemini?

 

[HVDynamo]

No Thanks.

 

[sw1tcher]

YouTube is testing a new search feature that it says is meant to feel more like a conversation than a search interface. Users are able to ask complex questions in natural language, receive results that include video and text, and then ask follow-up questions.

YouTube. What's up with all the stupid influencers making stupidly exaggerated facial expressions in their video image thumbnails?

 

[Gardening_Gnome]

Can’t wait to try this out. Surprised it took them this long

 

[koifish22]

I go to YouTube to watch videos not talk to an LLM.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I want no part of this.

I'm so happy I stopped paying them for YouTube Premium, particularly if they are going to junk it all up with stuff like this.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Plz stop ✋

 

[lepetitnicolas]

 

[iSmoggie]

YouTube and social media in general already feels too “curated” and AI just further entrenches that.

 

[diblasio]

Gross! 🤮

 

[Black_Mage]

Is this why YouTube Premium is getting more expensive?

 

[Padre_Pio]

Nobody wants this. In many respects, AI is a solution in search of a problem.

 

[Avenged110]

Lol, there are many things that pop into my head when searching for something on YouTube, but “I wish this was a conversation” is probably the last of all possibilities. I always wonder who the kind of people are that make ludicrous decisions like this. Is there really some sort of market research exclusively polling idiots that places laughable nonsense like this at the top of the company's priorities? How about letting me finally set a custom range for filtering by upload date? I bet they’re going to make me type out a whole damn paragraph to do that since they still refuse to add a simple filter for it.

 

[ProbablyDylan]

"Hey YouTube, show me how to get rid of YouTube Shorts."

 

[EM2013]

Why are they forcing ai in every single thing?

 

[ImSoSad]

I cannot BELIEVE I'm about to be this guy but....

Youtube search is terrible. I'll spend ages trying to locate a specific type of video about a subject with no luck only for something perfect to pop up in my for you feed a day or two later.

I hate that they're forcing AI into everything but... this might actually bring some needed improvements.

 

[maxoakland]

YouTube has the worst text search I’ve ever used. It barely pays any attention to what you typed and fills the page with extra related and “for you” stuff

So why not fix that?

 

[maxoakland]

Why are they forcing ai in every single thing?

Desperate to find a use case that justifies their massive overinvestment in it

 

[dontwalkhand]

I cannot BELIEVE I'm about to be this guy but....

Youtube search is terrible. I'll spend ages trying to locate a specific type of video about a subject with no luck only for something perfect to pop up in my for you feed a day or two later.

I hate that they're forcing AI into everything but... this might actually bring some needed improvements.

There is something wrong with YouTube search and I am glad it is not just me. Somehow if you manage to sort by date, the videos just all go missing, and none show up?

Then again, YouTube as a whole has lately been a **** show. PiP randomly doesn’t work, or show just a gray screen etc. Like how does one mess up the basics of what YouTube is supposed to be for? Watching and enjoying videos!

 

[Sill]

Why are they forcing ai in every single thing?

I can think of a couple of things from the past in personal computing that remind me of the "AI everywhere" mentality now.

1. When CD-rom drives first became widely available. I remember walking through CES that year and every booth, everywhere, proclaimed "MULTIMEDIA!!". They really didn't even have a good definition of the term, but everyone "knew" it was the wave of the future. At the time, it was useless games with 1/8 screen videos and compressed music. Mad Dog McCree was everywhere, and I couldn't get away from machines playing the dancing macaroni video with "Hey Macarena" on endless loop.

2. When the general populace became aware of "the world wide web". No one knew what they were going to do with that internet, they just knew they needed to be online. Suddenly AOL and Compuserve were just so ancient and the future was here. Billions of dollars were thrown at startups just because they had interesting names and were "first". And billions were lost.

Eventually things shake out and people will distill some real uses for the technology. MPC gave way to actually being able to create and edit UHD videos and hires music. The internet rolled right over the people who tried to squat on nifty generic site names like shopping.com and pets.com, and now you can shop at a hundred different places that may or may not be owned by Amazon.

We're in AI v1.0 right now, just like we had Internet 1.0, so give it time. Let all the "we have AI too!" people melt away and then see what remains.


edit: I can't believe I confused Mad Dog McCree with QuickDraw McGraw. Fixed.