Google adds one of its most controversial features to YouTube Premium
Google is expanding its AI Overviews tool to YouTube Premium, bringing the polarizing feature to the internet’s biggest video platform.
According to a June 26 blog post, someYouTubePremium members in the US will now see an AI-powered search results carousel when looking up topics like shopping, travel, or local activities.
The experimental feature, currently rolling out on iOS and Android, offers a series of short videos presented like Instagram Stories, each with its own headline and an AI-generated summary.
“We’re introducing a new AI-powered search results carousel to suggest videos and topic descriptions by creators across YouTube. Imagine searching for ‘best beaches in Hawaii’ — you could see an AI-generated carousel highlighting clips from videos showcasing the best snorkel spots and volcanic beaches, complete with descriptions and more videos to plan your ideal day,” theblog post reads.
YouTube Premium is getting AI overviews
The idea is to give users “useful insights” tied to their search, but the implementation mimics social media feeds and opens the door to possible misinformation, something AI Overviews has already been heavilycriticized for on Google Search.
While it’s meant to enhance discovery, creators are concerned the tool could misrepresent content or steer traffic away from their channels, especially if the AI summaries miss context or facts.
The AI carousel will be available for testing until July 30, and only a “randomly selected number of Premium members” will have access, according to YouTube’ssupport page.
That’s not the only AI rollout, either. YouTube is also expanding itsAIassistant, previously limited to Android and Premium users, to more US viewers. The tool, activated via a new “Ask” button under videos, can answer questions, summarize content, or suggest related clips, all without interrupting playback.
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With Google pushing AI deeper into its platforms, YouTube is quickly becoming a testbed and battleground for how far users and creators are willing to go with artificial intelligence.
