YouTube’s new AI chatbot: Ask what videos are about so you don’t have to watch them

Why watch the video when you can ask an AI instead?

YouTube has a new AI-powered ‘Ask’ feature.
Credit: Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

A little over a week after Google’s “Made by YouTube” event, the company is starting to roll out its conversational AI chatbot on the platform.

Dubbed the “Ask” button, this new generative AI feature is currently available exclusively to YouTube Premium subscribers on Android.

First teased late last year, the “Ask” button is a mobile-only tool that allows users to interact with the videos they’re watching in a whole new way. According to a demo posted by YouTube on X (formerly known as Twitter), the AI can, for instance, pull up an ingredient list from a cooking tutorial or provide more details about a music video.

Mashable Light Speed

Tweet may have been deleted

How to access the YouTube ‘AI ask’ featureFor anyone eager to try out YouTube’s new AI feature, there’s a catch: it’s not available on every video. According to YouTube’s support page, the “Ask” button only works on “select English videos,” which means it’s accessible on just 28% of the platform’s nearly 3.9 billion videos — so good luck tracking those down.

On the bright side, if you’re not a YouTube Premium subscriber, the AI tool is still available on some academic learning videos, giving non-paying users a limited chance to experience it firsthand. The Ask button appears below the video player as a pill-shaped option next to the Share button. However, it has also been spotted as a swipeable option within the comments box.

As mentioned above, the tool is also only available on Android devices, with no word yet on whether it’s coming to web or iOS.

Assistant Editor, General Assignments

Currently residing in Chicago, Illinois, Chance Townsend is an Assistant Editor at Mashable covering tech, entertainment, dating apps, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master’s in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is the proud father of one orange cat.

In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and “enjoys” watching the Lions and Pistons break his heart weekly. If you have any stories, tips, recipes, or wanna talk shop about Detroit sports you can reach him at [email protected]

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.