YouTube Experiments With AI Overviews in Search Results

YouTube is taking a new step into AI-powered discovery with the rollout of a test feature that integrates AI-generated video highlights directly into search results. The Google-owned platform announced that it is experimenting with a new carousel that surfaces curated video clips meant to help users find information more efficiently—without needing to click into full videos.

The feature is currently being tested with a limited number of YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S., and only for select English-language queries. It’s designed to show up for search terms related to product recommendations and travel suggestions, such as “best noise cancelling headphones” or “museums to visit in San Francisco.”

Unlike Google’s AI Overviews used in general search, YouTube’s version doesn’t summarize entire videos. Instead, it uses AI to highlight short clips from various videos that are most relevant to the user’s query. These clips are then presented in a horizontal carousel within the search results. The aim is to offer users a quick way to preview useful information without fully engaging with an entire video—essentially bringing bite-sized video content front and center.

While this new approach could enhance content discovery and streamline searches, it also raises questions about how it might impact viewer engagement. It’s unclear whether users will be encouraged to watch full videos after viewing the AI-generated clips, or if the shift will result in reduced traffic and watch time for creators—similar to concerns raised around Google’s AI search tools reducing site visits.

YouTube has yet to detail what criteria its AI uses to select clips, leaving creators in the dark about what might influence visibility in this new format. If rolled out widely, it could represent a new optimization frontier for content makers looking to stand out in AI-enhanced search environments.

YouTube is inviting user feedback on the test through its familiar thumbs up/down mechanism in the three-dot menu on search results.