YouTube has confirmed it is testing a new “conversational AI” feature on YouTube TV apps, bringing its Ask tool to smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming devices.
Until now, the feature was limited to the YouTube website and mobile apps. TVs were noticeably left out, but that is starting to change.
How YouTube conversational AI on TV works
The feature appears as an “Ask” button underneath videos.
When selected, users can:
- Choose from suggested prompts
- Use a microphone button to ask questions about the video
If your TV remote has a built-in microphone button, you can trigger the AI tool directly with your voice.
For example, while watching a cooking video, you could ask: “What ingredients are they using for this recipe?”
Or during a music video: “What’s the story behind this song’s lyrics?”
Behind the scenes, Gemini processes the request and generates an answer in real time.
A small-scale test for now
Google says the feature is currently being tested with “a small group of users.” There is no timeline yet for a wider rollout.
This follows Google’s broader push to integrate Gemini across its product ecosystem, from Search to Android to YouTube.
Video meets AI assistant
YouTube on TV has traditionally been passive. You pick a video and watch, but conversational AI changes that dynamic.
Instead of pausing the video to search on your phone, users can ask contextual questions directly from the couch. That shifts YouTube TV from being just a streaming app to something closer to an interactive assistant layered on top of video.
