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YouTube is testing an artificial intelligence feature that transforms the platform’s search into a personal assistant capable of planning trips, creating stop itineraries, making personalized playlists, and answering questions in text. The novelty works like a chat when the user clicks on “ask YouTube”. For now, the feature is only available to Premium subscribers in the United States, over 18 years old, and with searches conducted in English. Brazil still has no forecast for access.
YouTube has just taken a step closer to assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini by launching an artificial intelligence feature that goes beyond showing a list of videos when the user conducts a search. The platform now publishes responses also in text, transforming the search into an interactive conversation where it is possible to request, for example, that YouTube plan a car trip between distant cities. The AI responds with an itinerary of stops, practical information, and a playlist combining long and short videos about the route.
The problem for Brazilians is that the novelty is completely out of reach. The feature is in an exclusive testing period for YouTube Premium subscribers in the United States, restricted to users over 18 years old and searches conducted in English. There is no information on when, or if, the service will reach other countries, including Brazil. The platform is already considering expanding access to non-paying users in the US, but international expansion remains without a forecast.
How the new YouTube AI feature works
According to information released by NSC, the feature is activated when the user clicks on “ask YouTube” in the search bar. Instead of receiving just a list of videos related to the search, the platform starts displaying text responses generated by artificial intelligence, accompanied by relevant videos that complement the information. The idea is for the search to become a chat where the user can ask follow-up questions and refine what they are looking for.
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A fossil was forgotten for 70 years in a museum drawer — when they re-examined it with tomography, they discovered a 200-million-year-old predator with a bite that challenges what was known about crocodiles.
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A fossil lay forgotten for 70 years in a museum drawer — when they re-examined it with a CT scan, they discovered a 200-million-year-old predator with a bite that challenges what was known about crocodiles.
In practice, this means that someone planning a trip from São Paulo to the coast can ask YouTube what the best stops are, and the AI will respond with a text itinerary suggesting cities, tourist spots, and restaurants, as well as creating a playlist with videos from creators who have already made the same route. The experience combines the depth of videos with the practicality of written responses, something that no other video platform currently offers.
What YouTube’s AI can do besides planning trips
Trip planning is the most striking example, but the feature goes beyond. The artificial intelligence can answer questions on any topic covered by the platform’s videos, from cooking recipes to explanations about car mechanics, including technology tutorials and guidance on health and exercise. The difference from a conventional search is that the AI synthesizes information from multiple videos into a single, organized response.
For content creators, the change can have a significant impact. If YouTube’s AI starts answering questions in text, the user can get the information they need without watching the entire video, which potentially reduces views and watch time. On the other hand, the platform promises that the responses will always be accompanied by recommended videos, functioning as a gateway that can direct the audience to relevant creators.
Why only Premium subscribers in the United States have access
The restriction on YouTube Premium in the United States follows the pattern that Google adopts to test new AI features: limited release in a controlled market before global expansion. Premium subscribers pay $13.99 per month and serve as a test group that provides data on usage, engagement, and any issues before the functionality is released to the full base of users.
The requirement for search in English reinforces that the feature is in the early stages of development. Adapting the AI to respond in Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, and other languages requires specific training and quality validation that Google has not yet completed. All of the company’s artificial intelligence services are provided by Gemini, the same model that powers Google searches, the image generator, and the Pixel phone assistants.
When the feature might arrive in Brazil
There is no official forecast. YouTube is already considering expanding the service to unpaid users in the United States, which would be the first step before an international expansion. Historically, features tested in the American market take between six months and two years to reach Brazil, depending on the complexity of linguistic and regulatory adaptation.
For Brazilian users, the wait can be frustrating because Brazil is one of the five largest markets for YouTube in terms of users and hours watched. The platform has a massive base of Portuguese-speaking creators who produce content on travel, cuisine, technology, and education, exactly the topics that AI promises to transform. When the feature arrives, the impact on the Brazilian market of creators and the way the public consumes information could be as significant as the arrival of YouTube Shorts.
What the feature means for the future of video search
The integration of AI in the YouTube search signals that Google is preparing the platform to compete directly with assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini itself in informative conversations. Instead of forcing the user to choose between asking a chatbot or watching a video, YouTube offers both: a text response that solves the immediate question and videos that delve deeper into the topic for those who want to know more.
For Google, the move makes strategic sense. YouTube has the largest video library in the world, with content on practically any subject, and turning this base into a source of AI answers creates a competitive advantage that no competitor can replicate. The question is whether content creators, who are the foundation of the ecosystem, will see the feature as an opportunity to reach more audiences or as a threat that reduces the need to watch their videos.
Would you use YouTube’s AI to plan trips and answer questions, or do you prefer to continue watching the videos in full? Tell us in the comments if you think Brazil should be a priority in the feature’s expansion and what you think about artificial intelligence replacing the traditional search for videos.
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