This chatbot, referred to as a conversational AI tool, is designed to provide viewers with additional information about the videos they are viewing. It can answer questions related to the video, recommend related content, and even quiz viewers on the video’s topic, particularly for educational content. YouTube is also in the midst of testing an additional AI tool that categorizes video comments into distinct topics.

These new features are part of Google’s broader effort to incorporate AI across its services, including Search, Gmail, and its office productivity suite. In the context of YouTube, the company has previously introduced AI features for video creators, such as AI-generated backgrounds for Shorts, AI-powered video topic and audio suggestions and AI dubbing for language translation. YouTube is also reportedly working on an AI tool that allows users to create music tracks in the style of famous musicians.

It’s important to note that YouTube’s new AI tools are currently available as limited experiments. The conversational AI tool, for instance, is only accessible in English, on specific videos, on Android devices, and to Premium subscribers in the US aged 18 and above. To access it, users can simply click on an “Ask” button located beneath the video. This tool provides users with the option to select from a set of predetermined prompts.

In addition to the conversational AI tool, YouTube is introducing an AI-powered comment categorization feature that organizes video comments into different topics. This functionality is also being tested as part of an experiment and will be found on a limited selection of English-language videos that have extensive comment sections. Users can access it by clicking on a “Topics” button positioned alongside the current comment sorting choices.

YouTube highlights the benefits of these features for video creators, allowing them to engage with comment discussions more efficiently and gather inspiration for new content based on audience discussions. Nonetheless, YouTube recognizes that, during these AI experiments, there might be sporadic mistakes and complexities, particularly when managing comments.

Subscribers with a Premium account who wish to try out these functionalities can register on youtube.com/new for access to the comment categorization feature.