Just when you thought scrolling through YouTube was chaotic enough, Google said, “Hold my algorithm.” That’s right — AI Overviews, the feature that’s been causing some confusion (and a few hilarious internet memes) on Google Search, is now being tested on YouTube.
Here’s the scoop:
In a recent blog post (shoutout to MacRumors for catching it), Google announced that it’s experimenting with a new AI-powered video carousel. This new feature will use artificial intelligence to summarize and highlight parts of YouTube videos that are most relevant to your search. Basically, it’s like having a tiny robot friend who watches videos for you and says, “Skip to this part, it’s what you’re looking for!”
According to Google, this feature is aimed mainly at shopping and travel searches — so if you’re hunting for the perfect suitcase or best vacation spot, the AI will (hopefully) point you to the good stuff without making you click through 27 minutes of “Hey guys, welcome back to my channel!”
But Wait… If You Know, You Know
If the phrase “AI Overviews” is giving you a little déjà vu, you’re not wrong. Google first launched AI Overviews for regular search results in the U.S. back in May 2024, then pushed it worldwide by October. The launch… let’s just say it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. People quickly noticed some uh, interesting responses from the AI — ranging from funny mistakes to full-on nonsense answers that had users laughing, confused, and sometimes a little worried about the future of humanity.
Think: asking Google something silly like, “How to grow spaghetti trees?” and getting a perfectly serious, made-up explanation. Yeah. That happened.
What’s Next?
For now, the YouTube AI Overview tests are limited. Only a small group of YouTube Premium members in the U.S. are getting early access, and even then, only for some English search queries. So if you’re feeling a little FOMO, don’t worry — you’re not missing much… yet.
In the meantime, Google’s AI is getting even better (or weirder?) at answering whatever random phrases you can dream up. So go ahead — get creative with your questions. AI might just surprise you.
TL;DR:
👉 YouTube is testing AI that highlights video clips based on your search.
👉 It’s focused on shopping and travel topics (for now).
👉 Only a few Premium users are getting it first.
👉 Google’s track record with AI summaries is… let’s call it “entertaining.”
👉 The future of searching is about to get a lot weirder — and maybe a lot faster, too.
YouTube Is Testing AI-Powered Summaries in Search — Here’s What That Means for You
