Google: an AI chatbot revolutionizes YouTube search

Google Tests an AI Chatbot for YouTube Search

Google has launched an experiment aimed at transforming how users search for content on YouTube. This new feature, which resembles a conversational mode, is currently being tested by YouTube Premium subscribers in the United States who are 18 years or older. The idea is to make searching more interactive by integrating not only long videos and YouTube Shorts but also explanatory texts related to users' queries.

An Enhanced User Experience

By activating this feature, users see a "Ask YouTube" button in the search bar. When they click this button, search suggestions such as "funny baby elephant clips" or "summary of volleyball rules" are offered. If the user clicks the button without entering any text, they are directed to a comprehensive page with search suggestions and a text box to ask questions.

When searching with "Ask YouTube," an initially blank page briefly appears before filling up with text and relevant details. For example, searching for "brief history of the Apollo 11 landing" presents a summary of the mission at the top of the results, along with a bullet-point list of key milestones such as the date of the lunar landing and Neil Armstrong's first step on the Moon. The page also includes a video of the launch, timed to a specific section, from a channel called "The Life Guide." This is followed by galleries of videos under titles such as "From Launch to Splashdown," "Historical Footage and Behind the Scenes," and a series of Shorts titled "Moments on the Surface."

Suggestions and Related Searches

At the bottom of the page, additional suggestions are provided, such as "Who were the Apollo 11 astronauts" and, more controversially, "Apollo 11 conspiracy theories." A text box allows users to ask a follow-up question or start a new search. Clicking on "Who were the Apollo 11 astronauts" brings up a new set of results, including an information grid on astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. However, searching for "Apollo 11 conspiracy theories" only yields a typical list of YouTube search results.

Testing on Valve's Steam Controller

To evaluate the accuracy of this new feature, a test was conducted on Valve's Steam Controller. The search "What is the Steam Controller" generated an overview of the controller, pointing to Valve's new video and highlighting long reviews as well as a "Quick Reviews" section with Shorts, including a recently published Short and another from last November. While the information is mostly correct, a factual error was noted: YouTube claimed that the old Steam Controller, now discontinued, did not have joysticks, whereas it actually does. This underscores the importance of verifying the accuracy of information generated by AI.

Towards an Expansion of the Feature

YouTube has already announced that it is working to extend this experience to users without a Premium account. Similar to the integration of AI in Gmail, "Ask YouTube" appears to be a promising feature in which Google sees great potential for the future of online search.