[I/O 2026] YouTube opens conversational search and AI remix

YouTube launches Ask YouTube conversational search and Gemini Omni Shorts Remix to help US Premium members and creators find videos and edit scenes with AI.

YouTube rolls out Google I/O announcements on two fronts: discovery and creation. On the discovery front, Ask YouTube introduces conversational search that accepts complex queries, from tutorials on how to teach a child to ride a bike to creator reviews of games to play before bed. Users can ask follow-up questions to refine their requests, and the platform compiles the most relevant videos from its entire catalog, including long-form content and Shorts, into a structured, interactive response. The feature is initially reserved for adult Premium members in the United States, before a wider rollout.

On the creation front, Gemini Omni arrives in Shorts Remix and the YouTube Create app. Starting with an eligible Short, users can add their own prompts and images to reimagine the scene, for example, by transforming it into a 90s vibe or inserting themselves alongside a creator, while the original video's context remains intact. Each remix carries a SynthID watermark, identification metadata, and a link to the source, with creators retaining control and able to refuse the visual remix at any time. The appearance detection tool, touted as an industry first, is also being extended to all adult creators. Omni remixing is free now, with its arrival in AI Playground planned for later.