YouTube is launching a new AI-powered search feature that mirrors Google's AI Overviews, aiming to improve how users discover content on the platform.
The update introduces an 'AI-powered search results carousel' when YouTube users search for shopping, travel, or local activities.
The carousel offers a collection of video thumbnails and an AI-generated summary highlighting the key topics related to the search. For example, someone searching for 'best beaches in Hawaii' might see curated clips of snorkelling locations, volcanic coastlines, and planning tips - all surfaced by the AI.
Currently, the feature is available only to YouTube Premium users in the US. However, the platform plans to expand its conversational AI tool - which provides deeper insights, suggestions, and video summaries - to non-Premium users in the US soon.
That tool was first launched in 2023 to help users better understand content while watching.
YouTube is doubling down on AI features to keep users engaged and make content discovery more intuitive, especially in categories involving planning and decision-making.
