YouTube will test new AI search capabilities to help users find content faster, but this tool may disable the need to click on YouTube videos to give creators time.
The AI overview that YouTube introduced to US premium members on Thursday will live at the top of the results page in response to a search query. The AI tool presents the proposed video clips in a carousel format, along with a brief AI summary of the video.
For example, if a premium user searches “Best Beaches in Hawaii” on YouTube, the results will show a carousel with an AI-connected video clip for each video and an AI-written summary.
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There are catches that can affect content creators. AI Summary extracts the most relevant information for a search query, so users may find answers to the query in the written AI Summary without having to click on the full video. Users can also tap on the video thumbnail to play AI-estimated video clips directly from Carousel, reducing the need to watch the entire video away from the AI search page.
So, while AI search results on YouTube can make it easier for users to find what they're looking for, it can mark unnecessary changes for creators who rely on user engagement to make money on the platform.
The new feature is similar to the AI overview of Google, the parent company of YouTube. The AI overview introduced by Google last year provides a summary of the AI results at the top of Google Search.
This tool has a devastating impact on search traffic for news publishers. a Wall Street Journal A report earlier this month showed that Google's AI overview had significantly reduced publisher traffic. Business InsiderFor example, traffic dropped by 55% between April 2022 and April 2025, cutting around 21% of staff last month.
Related: Google's AI overview has changed since its debut, and these websites are the most profitable
Nicholas Thompson, CEO Atlantic OceanI said Wall Street Journal “Google is moving from a search engine to an answer engine,” and its publishers “should develop new strategies accordingly.”
For now, the new features are limited to searching for shopping, travel, or activities in specific locations. Premium members can access the feature by enabling it on the YouTube experiment page. This page shows that AI search results are available until July 30th and are available only on iOS and Android in English videos.
According to an analyst at Moffettnathanson's Institute, YouTube is worth up to $550 billion, making it one of the world's largest media companies. Sirseweb estimates that YouTube is the second most visited site in the world after Google.
YouTube will test new AI search capabilities to help users find content faster, but this tool may disable the need to click on YouTube videos to give creators time.
The AI overview that YouTube introduced to US premium members on Thursday will live at the top of the results page in response to a search query. The AI tool presents the proposed video clips in a carousel format, along with a brief AI summary of the video.
For example, if a premium user searches “Best Beaches in Hawaii” on YouTube, the results will show a carousel with an AI-connected video clip for each video and an AI-written summary.
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