YouTube Tests AI-Based Skip Ahead Option, Remixes of Already Remixed Shorts

YouTube’s testing out a new option that will make it easier to skip to the next most engaging part of a clip, while it’s also enabling expanded Remix options within Shorts.

First off, YouTube’s trying out a new way to help users skip to the best parts of a clip, via a new AI-driven process that takes into account the most watched elements, then enables you to skip ahead to those points, as opposed to skimming through each individual chapter.

As per YouTube:

“The way it works is, if a viewer is double tapping to skip ahead on an eligible segment, we’ll show a jump ahead button that will take them to the next point in the video that we think they’re aiming for. This feature will also be available to creators while watching their own videos.”

So rather than making users scan through the whole clip, the process seeks to use machine learning to make it easier to find the most relevant segments.

Which could be a more convenient way to consume more YouTube content, though it’ll be interesting to see whether users find this a benefit, or a little too much in terms of giving you just the Cliff’s Notes on uploads.

YouTube says that this is currently a “very small experiment in the U.S.”, with Premium subscribers only.

YouTube’s also looking to facilitate expanded Shorts interaction, via remixes of previously remixed clips.

As you can see in this example, creators will now be able to add their own take to already remixed Shorts clips.

Up till now, the Shorts remix option has only been available from a source video, but this new update will enable more collaborative participation with trending shorts, and expanded response options within Shorts clips.

I mean, it could be a bit much, but then again, attention spans are reducing, and trends like “sludge” videos, which feature multiple streams playing at once, are already popular.

So maybe, both skipping ahead to the most relevant parts, and adding remixes of remixes make a lot of sense.