New Delhi: YouTube is rolling out a new ‘Ask’ button, powered by Gemini AI, to select users. The feature is designed to help viewers interact with video content, and it lets users ask questions related to the video they’re watching on the platform to get summaries, explanations of key concepts, and even interactive quizzes.
The feature appears to be accessible across all platforms, and much like the Gemini chat assistant, it also presents prompt suggestions within the chat window for quick engagement.
YouTube Rolling Out a New ‘Ask’ Button
The “Ask” button, featuring a Gemini icon, is currently visible on select YouTube videos and appears below the video player, positioned between the “Share” and “Download” options. Available on iPhone, Android, and Windows platforms, the feature lets viewers ask questions related to the video they’re watching.
When tapped, the Ask button opens a pop-up window where users can either type their own questions or choose from suggested prompts like ‘summarises the video’, ‘recommends the related content’ and more. Responses are generated by large language models (LLMs).
For example, when watching a video about a newly launched smartphone, the Ask feature suggests prompts like “Is it durable?” or “What makes it powerful?” to help viewers quickly get insights without having to view the entire video. The chat window also includes a disclaimer noting that AI can make mistakes, so it’s recommended to double-check the AI-generated responses.
The Ask button is currently available to both YouTube Premium and non-Premium users. YouTube’s Help page confirms that this conversational AI tool is currently available in English for users aged 18 and above in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and India.
YouTube has recently introduced several new features to the platform. The Google-owned company released the likeness detection tool last month. It has added a dedicated section on YouTube for teenagers with mental health and wellbeing content. The video-sharing platform is also set to impose strict age restrictions on game content with “graphic violence.” The updated rules will come into effect from November 17.
