YouTube’s Conversational AI Tool is Coming to TVs

YouTube is upgrading its TV apps with the conversational AI tool it previously introduced on desktop and mobile. This generative AI feature lets users ask questions about the videos they’re watching or select one of the suggested prompts.

The YouTube team quietly announced the rollout of the new tool in an update to a support page about experimental features (via TechCrunch). This conversational AI tool is currently supported on the YouTube app for smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming devices.

“We’re starting out with a small group of users and will keep everyone up to speed on any future expansions,” the team said. You’ll know you’re part of the test if you see an “Ask” button while watching a YouTube video. If you have a smart TV with a microphone button on the remote, you can also use it to launch the conversational AI tool.

YouTube’s conversational AI tool isn’t available on all videos at the moment. Responses draw information from YouTube and the web, but the YouTube team warned in an FAQ that some of them may be inaccurate. Lastly, the tool is only available for signed-in users who meet the minimum age requirement, and YouTube does collect some data about your queries to improve it. However, the company says that it’s not using this data to show you personalized ads.