Google trials AI chatbot in YouTube

Luke Meredith

Google is testing a new way to search on YouTube that uses an AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot to answer questions and guide viewers toward videos in a more conversational way.

The feature, called “Ask YouTube”, is being tried with a small group of users and is designed to feel closer to chatting with an assistant than typing keywords into a search box.

The experiment is currently limited to YouTube Premium subscribers in the United States who are over 18 and choose to turn it on. Once enabled, users will see an Ask YouTube button inside the search bar, along with example prompts that encourage full questions instead of short phrases. These prompts range from light entertainment ideas, such as videos of animals, to educational topics like sports rules or major moments in history.

When someone uses Ask YouTube, the platform briefly loads before showing a results page that mixes several types of information. At the top, the AI provides a written summary answering the question in clear language. Below that, YouTube highlights videos that match different parts of the topic. These can include longer videos, clips pulled from specific moments in a video and Shorts that focus on quick highlights.

The aim appears to be helping viewers understand a subject quickly while also pointing them to videos that explore it in more depth.

In one example described during the test, a question about the Apollo 11 Moon landing produced a short explanation of the mission’s key moments, followed by a video linked directly to the launch day section, and then collections of related footage showing the journey and life on the Moon. This approach reduces the need to scroll through many separate search results and gives users a clearer starting point.

The move closely mirrors Google’s wider push to add AI-powered search tools across its products. YouTube’s version reflects features seen in Google Search’s AI Mode, suggesting the company wants to keep users inside its platforms while answering more complex questions. At the same time, limiting the test to Premium subscribers allows Google to gather feedback before expanding it to a larger audience.

For now, Ask YouTube remains an experiment, and Google has not said when or if it will roll out more widely. If it does, it could change how people discover videos, shifting YouTube away from simple keyword searches and toward AI-guided exploration.

If you wish to work with a team who keeps on top of AI developments to ensure your website doesn’t get lost in search, reach out to Engage Web today.

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Luke Meredith

Content Editor at Engage Web

At home in both the digital sector and the world of communications, Luke thrives on deadlines and has held roles in healthcare, retail and digital marketing, gaining a sound knowledge of a wide range of sectors. He’s a massive swot as well, holding a first-class degree in BA Communication and Media, and now uses his writing skills and keen editorial eye in his role as Content Editor here. Luke helps to oversee our clients’ content requirements, while also looking after a pool of freelance writers across three continents.