YouTube is rolling out its conversational AI tool to television platforms, including smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming devices, enhancing the viewing experience for users.
The experimental feature, initially launched on mobile and web platforms in 2024, enables users to ask questions about video content without interrupting playback or navigating away from the app. According to YouTube’s support page, eligible users can activate the assistant by selecting the “Ask” button on their TV screen, which provides suggested questions tailored to the specific video. Alternatively, users can press the microphone button on their remote to ask custom questions, such as requesting ingredients for a recipe shown in a video or seeking background information on a song’s lyrics. The system delivers answers instantly on-screen while the video continues to play.
The TV expansion is currently available to a select group of users over 18 years old, with the tool supporting five languages: English, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, and Korean. This development coincides with a shift in viewing habits, as indicated by a Nielsen report from April 2025, which shows YouTube now accounts for 12.4% of total television audience time in the United States, surpassing traditional competitors like Disney and Netflix.
YouTube is not the only platform enhancing its TV interface with artificial intelligence. Amazon has deployed Alexa+ on Fire TV devices, allowing for natural conversation, specific scene searching, and queries about actors or filming locations. Roku has also updated its voice assistant to answer open-ended questions, such as “How scary is this movie?” Netflix is testing an AI-powered search experience.
In addition to conversational tools, YouTube has introduced other AI features to enhance the TV experience. The platform has launched a tool that automatically upscales lower-resolution videos to full HD and added a comments summarizer and an AI-driven search results carousel. In January, YouTube announced that creators would soon be able to produce Shorts using AI-generated versions of their likeness. Last week, the company launched a dedicated app for the Apple Vision Pro, offering theater-sized viewing in an immersive environment.
