Google I/O 2026 has new updates across different products and services, and YouTube hasn"t been left out. The conversational chatbot experience that we have seen in Google Maps and Google Photos is making its way to the video-sharing platform.
Ask YouTube is a new feature to let you ask more complex search queries. The feature will analyze what you said and compile a list of relevant videos from YouTube"s entire catalog, including Shorts and long-form videos.
YouTube said you can use Ask YouTube to find tips on teaching your kid to ride a bike, or to find creator reviews of cozy games to play before bedtime. You can also ask follow-up questions to refine your search.
The feature is currently available to Premium users aged 18 and up living in the US. You can go to the YouTube Premium Experiments page to enroll. While there is no concrete timeline, Google said that Ask YouTube will be available to all users soon.
YouTube is also getting a taste of the search giant"s newest AI model, Gemini Omni, which it claims "can create anything from any input." You can remix YouTube Shorts with the Omni and use the model in the YouTube Create app as well.
You can add your own prompts and images to create a new version of an eligible Short while preserving the original context, such as changing the scene into a 90"s vibe or inserting yourself alongside your favorite creator.
"Remixing with Omni delivers a fresh way for users to create and build on each other"s imagination. The model better understands user intent creating more consistent and meaningful storytelling while also handling complex video and audio adjustments behind the scenes," YouTube said.
The company notes that all the YouTube Shorts remixed using Omni will have digital watermarks, identifying metadata, and link back to the original video. The original creators will have the power to opt out of visual remix in Shorts at any time.
Support for Gemini Omni in YouTube Shorts is now rolling out to all users for free, and it will be available in AI Playground soon. YouTube added that its likeness detection feature is now expanding to all creators aged 18 and older.
Google revealed some interesting numbers about its products and services, stating that 13 of its products now have more than 1 billion users. You can check out the Google I/O coverage here.