Google has announced new AI features for YouTube during Google I/O 2026. The company is bringing conversational AI search to YouTube, along with new Gemini-powered video creation tools for Shorts and creators.
The most notable announcement is the new feature called “Ask YouTube.” The feature works somewhat like AI Mode in Google Search, but instead of showing webpages, it searches directly through YouTube videos.
Users will be able to ask conversational questions inside YouTube and get video-based answers. Ask YouTube will then pull together relevant long-form videos and Shorts related to the query.
The system also supports follow-up questions, which allows users to refine their searches naturally without typing completely new queries every time.
Google says the feature will additionally show short text summaries alongside videos to help users quickly understand whether a video contains the information they need.
The company is also bringing Gemini Omni integration to YouTube Create and YouTube Shorts Remix.
Gemini Omni is Google’s new multimodal AI model that can work with text, images, audio, and video together. The AI can generate videos using different types of input while using Gemini’s real-world understanding for context.
Initially, Google is focusing mainly on AI video generation features inside YouTube.
With the new Shorts Remix tools, users will be able to remix existing Shorts using custom prompts and images while still keeping the original video’s context.
For example, users could insert themselves into videos, apply visual styles, or create edited versions using AI-generated effects.
However, creators will still have some control. Google says original Shorts creators can choose to opt out of visual remix features if they do not want their videos modified through AI tools.
Google claims Gemini Omni can better understand user intent and generate more consistent AI results.
The launch comes at an interesting time because many social media platforms are simultaneously trying to reduce low-quality reposted or AI-generated spam content.
Ask YouTube is currently available to YouTube Premium users in the United States through the YouTube Labs section.
Meanwhile, Gemini Omni integration for YouTube Create and Shorts Remix is starting to roll out now.
