YouTube is rolling out an experimental feature that could change the way you search for videos — and not everyone is thrilled, namely creators.
Similar to Google’s AI Overviews in Search, which summarize key information for queries, YouTube is testing AI Overviews to help make finding the right videos faster and more efficiently.
Now, instead of scrolling through endless thumbnails and titles, AI Overviews surfaces key video clips directly at the top of your search results.
For example, if you’re searching for “best noise-cancelling headphones” or “top museums in San Francisco,” you’ll now see a carousel of curated video segments that get you to the stuff you're looking for — and without needing to watch the entire video.
Although Google’s AI Overviews are not without controversy, bringing the same AI approach to YouTube could have even bigger implications.
Why Creators Are Worried
While AI Overviews could make video discovery easier for viewers, it’s already raising concerns among content creators because surfacing key clips upfront means users may get the information they need without ever clicking into full videos.
Because content creators rely on engagement for ad revenue, it may be harder for creators who depend on those metrics, with AI Overviews slashing watch time.
The fear echoes complaints from publishers when Google’s AI Overviews in Search started pulling users away from clicking into full articles earlier this year.
Only a small test group (for now)
At the moment, AI Overviews is available only to a small group of YouTube Premium subscribers in the U.S., focused on English-language searches related to shopping and travel.
Test users can give feedback on the results using simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down buttons, and YouTube will be watching that data closely before deciding whether to launch the feature more widely.
Bottom line
YouTube’s AI Overviews aren’t happening in a vacuum. They’re part of a much broader AI push from Google, which recently launched Gemini 2.5, its most powerful model yet. From Search to Gmail to YouTube, Google is weaving AI into every corner of its ecosystem, so it shouldn't be a surprise that video discovery is the next frontier.
Whether AI Overviews becomes a permanent fixture will depend largely on two factors: whether users like it and how badly it impacts creators.
One thing’s clear: If you’re used to traditional YouTube searches, things could start looking a lot different very soon.
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