YouTube Expands ‘Ask’ AI Feature to Desktop, Bringing Video Summaries to More Users
YouTube has expanded its “Ask” AI feature to desktop users, marking a significant step in bringing conversational AI capabilities to its global audience. The feature, powered by Google’s Gemini models, allows viewers to get instant video summaries and ask questions about content without watching entire videos.
What is the ‘Ask’ Feature?
The “Ask” button is a conversational AI tool that appears on video pages, enabling users to interact with video content in new ways. Unlike simple transcript-based summarization, Gemini analyzes multiple aspects of the video:
- Spoken content - What’s said in the video
- Visual elements - What’s shown on screen
- On-screen text - Text overlays and graphics
- Temporal context - Moments before and after specific points
Users can request video summaries, ask specific questions about the content, or get recommendations for related videos—all while the video is still playing.
Expansion Timeline
The feature was first introduced to YouTube Premium subscribers on Android in late 2025. Initially limited to select English-language videos, it has now expanded to desktop browsers, making it accessible to a broader user base.
According to YouTube’s support documentation, the feature works on “select English videos,” which currently represents approximately 28% of the platform’s nearly 3.9 billion videos.
How It Works
When available, users will see an “Ask” button on the video page. Clicking it opens a conversational interface where they can:
- Summarize the video - Get a quick overview of the main points
- Ask specific questions - Query details about ingredients in a cooking video, steps in a tutorial, or facts mentioned in a documentary
- Get recommendations - Find related content based on their interests
The AI generates responses by analyzing the video content comprehensively, not just relying on transcripts.
Creator Concerns
The feature has sparked mixed reactions among content creators. While it enhances viewer experience, some creators worry that AI-generated summaries might reduce watch time—a key metric for YouTube monetization. If viewers can get the gist of a video without watching it, engagement metrics could potentially suffer.
YouTube has not publicly addressed these concerns, though the limited rollout to Premium subscribers suggests a cautious approach to deployment.
Part of Google’s AI Integration Strategy
The “Ask” feature is part of Google’s broader strategy to integrate Gemini across its products. YouTube has also introduced AI-generated comment summaries, AI editing tools for Shorts, and the “Ask Studio” feature for creators to analyze their channel performance using conversational AI.
As AI becomes more deeply embedded in video platforms, the way users discover, consume, and interact with content continues to evolve.