YouTube has a new trick to help you find what you’re looking for faster
Joe Maring / Android Authority
TL;DR
- YouTube is rolling out an AI-powered search results carousel for Premium members on the mobile app.
- This carousel may appear when you search for queries related to shopping, places, or things to do.
- The platform’s conversational AI tool is also opening up to some non-Premium users in the US.
YouTube is getting two AI-related updates to make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for and get more information. One of these updates is exclusive for Premium members, while the other is a previously exclusive feature that’s now opening up to some non-Premium users.
In a blog post, YouTube revealed it’s introducing a new AI-powered search results carousel to the mobile app. This feature will generate relevant video suggestions and topic descriptions when you perform a search. As the company explains, this carousel won’t appear on every search, but you may see it pop up for queries related to shopping, places, or things to do in a specific location.
For example, if you typed “Best beaches in Hawaii,” you may see a carousel of highlights appear below the search bar. These highlights are clips of videos from creators across YouTube that are relevant to your search. Below these clips, you’ll see descriptions explaining how the clips are related to your search, like a synopsis of one of the suggested beaches. You’ll also be able to tap on the thumbnails to skip to different clips, and tapping on the clip will take you to the full video, picking up from where you left off.
The AI-powered carousel is available starting today. However, it is currently only available to Premium subscribers in the US. The company didn’t say if this feature will eventually expand to other markets.
In addition to the carousel rollout, YouTube is making its conversational AI feature available to some non-Premium users. This AI chatbot first debuted in 2023, allowing Premium members to ask questions about a video, get suggestions for related content, and more without interrupting the viewing experience. This update is expected to arrive in the coming weeks, but the expansion will only be for users in the US.
