YouTube’s latest experiment brings its conversational AI tool to TVs | TechCrunch
Summary
YouTube is testing a conversational AI tool on smart TVs, enabling viewers to ask questions about the content they're watching, enhancing user engagement and experience.
Why It Matters
This development reflects the growing trend of integrating AI into everyday media consumption, allowing for a more interactive viewing experience. As YouTube expands its AI capabilities, it positions itself competitively against other platforms like Amazon and Roku, which are also enhancing their AI features.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube's conversational AI tool is now available on smart TVs.
- Users can ask questions about videos without pausing playback.
- The feature supports multiple languages and is aimed at enhancing viewer engagement.
- YouTube's expansion comes as it captures a significant share of TV audience time.
- Competitors like Amazon and Roku are also advancing their AI capabilities.
The race to advance conversational AI in the living room is heating up, with YouTube being the latest to expand its tool to smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming devices. This experimental feature, previously limited to mobile devices and the web, now brings conversational AI directly to the largest screen in the home, allowing users to ask questions about content without leaving the video they’re watching. According to YouTube’s support page, eligible users can click the “Ask” button on their TV screen to summon the AI assistant. The feature offers suggested questions based on the video, or users can use their remote’s microphone button to ask anything related to the video. For instance, they might ask about recipe ingredients or the background of a song’s lyrics, and receive instant answers without pausing or leaving the app. Currently, this feature is available to a select group of users over 18 and supports English, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, and Korean. YouTube first launched this conversational AI tool in 2024 to help viewers explore content in greater depth. The expansion to TVs comes as more Americans now access YouTube through their television than ever before. A Nielsen report from April 2025 found that YouTube accounted for 12.4% of total television audience time, surpassing major platforms like Disney and Netflix. Other companies are also making significant strides with their conversational AI technologies. Amazon rolled out Alexa+ on Fire TV devices, e...