YouTube replaces AI slideshow with creator-focused Ask YouTube search tool

YouTube scrapped an AI-generated slideshow feature after user backlash and introduced Ask YouTube, which directs viewers to specific moments in creator videos without replacing the creators.

Last summer YouTube trialed an AI slideshow that assembled snippets from multiple videos to answer queries like “best beaches in Hawaii,” but the approach sidelined creators and was quietly removed after negative feedback, according to vice-president of product management Emily Moxley. The platform has since launched Ask YouTube, an AI-assisted search that breaks down complex questions, runs them through YouTube’s existing search systems, and jumps directly to the relevant moment in a creator’s video while keeping the original content intact.

Product lead Sandie Gong reports a rise in learning-oriented and how-to queries, and the feature premiered at Google I/O for Premium subscribers, with broader rollout to desktop, mobile and TV planned. Advertising remains unchanged, view counts count toward monetization, and a small “Ask YouTube SEO” industry has appeared. YouTube hopes the new tool balances AI innovation with viewers’ preference for authentic creator connections, a view echoed by creators such as Hank Green and cultural commentators like Nick Cave.