Google is testing AI summaries on YouTube that won’t replace existing human-created video descriptions but could help you decide what to watch.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) can summarize large passages of text with surprisingly good results, and soon AI could automatically summarize YouTube videos.
- Part of the several experimental features currently being tested on YouTube, this generates video summaries on watch and search pages.
- At the moment, AI only summarizes English videos. The summaries are available for some but not all videos and are only viewable by a limited number of users.
YouTube is testing AI-generated video summaries
YouTube creators know the importance of crafting an informative description that tells the viewer what the video is all about before you start watching. But Google bets that, one day, AI could automate creating video summaries.
The idea behind AI auto-generated summaries on YouTube is to give you a quick overview of a video so that you can “decide whether it’s the right fit for you,” according to Google’s support document spotted by AndroidPolice.
For now, AI-generated summaries appear on watch and search pages. AI auto-generated summaries don’t replace existing video descriptions created by humans, for now. But who knows what will happen next if the test proves wildly successful.
Google didn’t share any screenshots. If iDB gets accepted in this test, we’ll update this article with screenshots. It also wouldn’t say if AI-generated summaries are labeled appropriately to differentiate them from human-created content.
Eligible users who get accepted in this experiment will start seeing the feature pretty soon as AI auto-generated summaries began rolling out on July 31, 2023.
How to sign up for AI video summaries on YouTube
You might be able to sign up to participate in this experiment at youtube.com/new. If not, try again a few days later. Keep in mind that some experimental features have limited availability, while others require a YouTube Premium subscription.
Other AI moves at Google
Google’s generative AI tools can also summarize Play Store reviews.
In fact, the company has been working on a number of AI-related initiatives, ranging from its conversational generative artificial intelligence chatbot, Bard, to a new Search Generative Experience, AI tools in its Workspace productivity apps and more.
One of the features still being tested would cut people off after three videos unless they disable their ad blocker or subscribe to YouTube Premium.