What to know

  • YouTube is testing AI Overviews in search results, showing highlighted video clips for certain queries.
  • The feature is only available to a small group of US YouTube Premium members for English searches.
  • AI Overviews focus on product and location-based searches, like headphones or museums.
  • YouTube will use user feedback to decide on a wider rollout.

YouTube has started testing a new feature called AI Overviews in its search results. This feature uses artificial intelligence to highlight specific clips from videos that best match your search. The goal is to help you find the most useful parts of videos more quickly, without needing to watch entire videos to get the information you want.

The AI Overviews appear as a carousel in the search results. When you search for certain topics, such as product reviews or places to visit, the AI scans related videos and selects the most relevant clips. For example, if you search for "best noise cancelling headphones" or "museums to visit in San Francisco," you might see a row of video clips that directly address your query.

This feature is currently in a limited testing phase. Only a small number of YouTube Premium members in the United States can see AI Overviews, and only for searches in English. If you are part of this test group, you can give feedback on the feature by rating it with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down in the menu.

YouTube says this experiment is part of its regular process for testing new tools. The company often tries out new features with small groups before deciding whether to make them available to everyone. Feedback from users will help YouTube decide if and how to expand AI Overviews to more people in the future.

Unlike Google Search’s AI Overviews, YouTube’s version does not summarize entire videos. Instead, it pulls out clips that the AI considers most helpful for your search. It is not yet clear if this will encourage you to watch full videos or if it might reduce the number of views for creators. YouTube has not shared details about how the AI chooses which clips to show.

For now, creators and viewers will need to wait and see how this new feature affects the way people find and watch videos on YouTube. The company will continue to collect feedback and may adjust the feature before any wider release.

Via: MacRumors