YouTube is no stranger to implementing new features and experimenting with the platform, and one powerful new tool could change how viewers engage with content forever.
Back in October, YouTube announced that it was expanding its AI video summaries to more users after a limited trial in 2023 with more viewers getting a chance to try it out in the weeks ahead.
These summaries use AI to create short outlines of entire YouTube videos, which the company says is intended to provide users with a “quick glimpse” of what it’s about and are designed to complement descriptions.
Now, more users have begun to see these summaries when checking out videos, but viewers have mixed feelings about the feature, especially its potential impact on smaller creators.
YouTube users say new feature could reduce views
In a post shared on social media, a user noted how they had clicked on a video, but instead of watching, they opted to just read the summary again.
“Nice idea to reduce views,” they wrote. “I was about to click but then I saw the summary so I just read.”
Many in the comments were positive about the tool, with some noting how it could be useful for longer videos or to, as one user hoped, “identify scams.”
“Google is so obsessed with AI that they are now using it to decrease views and thus decrease ad revenue for them,” one joked, referring to the overbearing influx of ads taking over the app.
“It’s a great feature on paper. But it does ruin a lot of discoverability for smaller YouTubers, that makes informational videos,” another argued.
Some were completely down the middle. One explained how, although the AI descriptions had some pros, it could ultimately “screw over” good creators.
“This is the best thing to happen to YouTube. Clickbait content won’t get views because people can just read the summary. Quality content will get views. Quality will increase,” someone else noted.
This feature comes as more and more YouTube Premium subscribers have expressed concern about rising costs, especially with recent hikes having some paying a whopping $500 per year.
YouTube is also facing new competition. Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski, for example, said the platform was ready to “take on” YouTube after its election night streaming coverage broke records and eclipsed Kick’s peak viewer total.