YouTube has announced a major expansion of its AI-powered features aimed at improving both content discovery and creator tools, introducing a new conversational search experience called ‘Ask YouTube’ along with advanced Gemini Omni-powered remix features for Shorts and the YouTube Create app.

The announcement was made by YouTube on May 19 during Google I/O 2026, where the platform detailed how artificial intelligence will play a larger role in helping users search, discover and create content more intuitively across YouTube’s ecosystem.

One of the biggest updates is ‘Ask YouTube,’ a conversational search feature that allows users to type more natural and detailed questions instead of relying on basic keywords. Users can now search queries such as parenting tips, creator recommendations, or specific video moods and continue refining results through follow-up questions. The feature compiles relevant long-form videos and Shorts from across YouTube and presents them in a structured, interactive format.

Currently, Ask YouTube is being rolled out for Premium users aged 18 and above in the United States through youtube.com/new, with YouTube confirming plans for a wider global rollout in the near future.

Alongside smarter search, YouTube also introduced Gemini Omni integration for YouTube Shorts Remix and the YouTube Create app. The new AI upgrade allows creators to remix eligible Shorts by adding prompts, changing themes, inserting themselves into videos, or transforming visuals while keeping the original context intact. YouTube said the feature is designed to make content creation more accessible without requiring advanced editing skills.

The company added that all AI-remixed Shorts created through Omni will include digital watermarks, identifying metadata and links back to the original content. Creators will also retain control over their videos, with options to opt out of visual remixing entirely. YouTube further revealed that its AI-powered likeness detection tool, aimed at identifying and managing deepfake-style impersonation content, is now being expanded to all creators aged 18 and above.

With AI rapidly becoming central to digital content platforms, YouTube’s latest announcements signal the company’s broader push towards making video discovery, storytelling and creator tools more personalised, interactive and AI-driven for users worldwide.