YouTube turns Ask YouTube into an AI shopping companion

YouTube announced at its Made On YouTube event that Ask YouTube, its AI-powered conversational search feature, will be upgraded into a shopping companion to help users make purchase decisions while watching videos.

With the update, searching for a specific product may return organized recommendations, such as a comparison table highlighting different product attributes or categories based on user preferences. Users will also be able to ask follow-up questions directly on a video's watch page. YouTube said the changes reflect existing user behavior trends, noting that viewers often learn about products from creators and trust their opinions and recommendations.

Emily Moxley, YouTube's VP of Product Management for Viewer AI, said in a briefing ahead of the event that a custom Gemini model powers the feature's growth by mapping viewers' most complex questions to the exact second where a video provides the answer, turning passive search into an instant connection with the video and creator.

YouTube noted that more than 140 million people used Ask YouTube in June to go deeper into videos, a jump of over 500% since last December.