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Dive deeper with Ask AI tool
YouTube's first native conversational AI assistant, integrated directly into the watch page.
the problem
Users frequently have questions or want to dive deeper into a video's content but are forced to interrupt their viewing experience.
This requires them to leave the YouTube watch page to use external search engines or manually scrub through videos to find specific information, creating a disjointed, inefficient, and often frustrating journey.
We created a tool that supports users and provides immediate values without disrupting the watch experience.
Ask is YouTube's first native conversational AI assistant, integrated directly into the watch page.
Initially launched as an experiment for Premium users, it allows viewers to ask questions about the video they are watching and receive contextual answers without interrupting playback.
The interface, accessible via an "Ask" button and other entry points, evolved from a simple chat-bubble design to a more polished and integrated panel. To guide users and reduce friction, the solution heavily features suggested and dynamic prompts, which proved to be a primary driver of interaction.
Ask is powered by a succession of LLM made possible by Gemini.
how it works
When a user submits a query, a router directs it to the correct backend.
The tool supports multi-turn conversations with text and rich media responses.
Ask watches alongside you to provide timestamped answers, relevant content, and shoppable products.
Impact
Ask feature successfully launched from 0 to 400 million monthly active users in 196 geos.
Patent-pending technology forming foundational IP for Google and YT’s conversational AI and visual search initiative.
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