The new YouTube AI-powered carousel offers instant answers via short clips.
YouTube, the world’s largest video platform, is constantly bringing new features to improve its user experience. And recently YouTube has launched a new search feature based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) for its premium subscribers. This feature has been named AI Search Carousel. And it can completely change the way of search. While this feature is currently available only to select YouTube Premium users in the US and is working only on English language videos. But this is a trial that will run till July 30, 2025. After this, YouTube can also roll it out to other countries and more users.
How the YouTube AI-Powered Search Feature Works?
When a YouTube Premium user searches about a specific topic. So, for example, places to visit in Delhi or how to choose the best headphones, instead of a traditional video listing, an AI-powered carousel appears above the search results.
This carousel is a slider of video clips. These clips are small parts of different videos related to that topic. Which AI has extracted from the content of the video. The biggest advantage of this is that the user does not need to watch the entire video. He can immediately understand the main points and information of the video by watching these clips. When you tap on a clip, the entire video starts from where that clip was taken. This helps you go directly to that part. At the same time, your query is answered. So Google’s Gemini AI powers this advanced AI tool, which can understand the content of the video in depth. You trained on data up to October 2023.
YouTube AI Chatbot Expansion Alongside AI-Powered Search
With this new search carousel, YouTube has also extended its conversational AI feature to more users. So this AI chatbot which was earlier only for some premium users is now becoming available to some non-premium users as well. So you can use this chatbot while watching videos. You will see a Sparkle icon near the Like Share and Download buttons on the video screen. By tapping on it, you can ask questions about the video. You can ask for suggestions related to the topic.
Or you can chat with AI to understand the video. This chatbot can also give summaries based on the content of the video and in some cases, such as in educational videos, can also create quizzes. And its potential impact on creators and viewers Now the biggest question is what impact this new AI search feature will have on the views, engagement of videos on YouTube and the earnings of creators. This is a very complex question which has many aspects.
Benefits of YouTube AI-Powered Search for Viewers
Saving time is the biggest benefit. Users will no longer need to watch long videos to get information. They can quickly find information from AI-generated clips and summaries. Improved search experience AI search gives users more accurate and direct answers. If you are looking for a specific piece of information, AI will take you directly to the moment where that information is available. Easy This can be a very useful tool for researchers. They can quickly gather information from multiple videos on any topic. Skip boring parts With features like Jump Ahead, AI identifies the parts that people often skip and takes you directly to the most interesting or informative parts of the video.
How YouTube AI-Powered Search Affects Creators Negatively
Decrease in views is the biggest concern. If the user gets the information in the carousel itself, he may not watch the entire video. This can reduce the watch time of the video. Watch time is a very important ranking factor for the YouTube algorithm. Decreased engagement If a user only watches clips, he or she may not be motivated to comment, like, or subscribe to the channel. This can reduce engagement. Impact on ad revenue Ads on YouTube are usually shown during or at the beginning of a video. If a user only watches small parts of the video, the chances of watching the ads are reduced. This can directly impact creators’ earnings. Impact on click-through rate If the AI carousel itself gives all the information, the user will not bother to click on the thumbnail or read the title.
This can lead to lower CTR, which is another important factor for ranking a video. Change in content strategy Creators will now have to make their content AI-friendly. They will have to clearly and clearly state the key information in their videos so that the AI can easily recognize it. They may have to break their videos into smaller, information-rich parts. Value of detailed content Creators who create long and detailed videos. They may suffer the most. AI will only pick up the main points which may make the depth and hard work of their content go waste. Should creators be afraid? Because the rollout of this feature may definitely bring some initial challenges. But instead of being afraid, creators should be prepared for it. This is a new technology. And with every new technology comes both opportunities and challenges.
Opportunities for Creators in the Age of YouTube AI Search
Strengthen SEO first AI search will rely heavily on the metadata of your videos. This means you need to use the right keywords in your title description tags and video script. If the AI doesn’t understand your video’s content properly, it won’t show it in the search carousel.
Focus on topic-driven videos Create videos that directly answer a specific question. The AI will prioritize content that directly addresses a user’s query. Change the structure of the video Use chapters and timestamps in your videos. This will help both the AI and the user understand different parts of the video. It will also let the user know what else he or she will learn if he or she watches the full video. Encourage engagement Encourage conversation in your videos instead of just giving information. Respond to comments Ask questions and build a community. If users enjoy your videos and feel connected to you, they won’t just watch the clip and leave. Create clickable thumbnails and titles Thumbnails are even more important now. Even if AI shows clips, a catchy thumbnail and title can motivate users to watch the full video.
Final Thoughts on YouTube AI-Powered Search and the Future of Video
The rollout of the AI-powered search feature on YouTube can be a game-changer. It will improve the experience for viewers, allowing them to find information quickly and efficiently. But it also poses a huge challenge for creators. Some creators may initially face a drop in views and engagement. But it is also an opportunity. Creators who embrace this change and adapt their content strategy accordingly can succeed. They will have to strengthen their SEO, change the structure of content and bring out their unique personality in their videos even more. This is a new era for YouTube, where not only views but also the quality of information and user experience will be important. Only those creators who understand and adopt this new rule will be ahead in this race.
