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YouTube is set to expand its creator toolkit with a fresh set of AI-powered editing, research, and channel-management features, while also adding new shopping and content-discovery tools for viewers. The announcements were made at the company’s annual Made on YouTube 2026 event.
The updates cover several parts of the platform, including YouTube Studio, Shorts, YouTube Create and the conversational Ask YouTube feature. YouTube is also introducing a new format that lets creators organize Shorts into episodes and seasons.
One of the biggest creator-focused additions is a conversational editing assistant powered by Google’s Gemini. Available across Shorts and the YouTube Create app, the tool allows creators to describe the changes they want instead of making every edit manually.
Creators can use prompts to reorder frames, trim pauses, and synchronize music. They can then move between the AI-assisted workflow and the traditional editing timeline to make further changes.
YouTube Studio is also getting personalized feedback on early video drafts, covering areas such as pacing, structure and storytelling. Creators can generate thumbnails that match the style of their channels and test up to three different video cuts to see which opening performs better.
YouTube is also expanding Ask YouTube, its conversational search feature, into shopping. Users looking for products can receive organized recommendations and compare options based on their preferences.
The feature will also support follow-up questions directly from a video's watch page. YouTube is expanding its Shopping affiliate program to 35 countries by the end of 2026, while creators in India and Brazil will soon be able to tag Amazon products. Product tags can also show localized offers depending on where viewers are watching.
YouTube is giving Shorts a more structured viewing format with Shorts Series. Creators can organize related Shorts into seasons and episodes, allowing viewers to follow an ongoing story rather than watching individual clips separately.
Series will appear on creator channels and can be watched sequentially across mobile, desktop and TV. Custom thumbnails are also supported.
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YouTube is additionally testing AI-powered comment moderation that can adapt to a creator’s preferences. Its likeness-protection system is being expanded to combine voice and facial detection, giving creators more tools to protect their identity.
For viewers, YouTube is also introducing custom homepage feeds based on individual interests. Together, the updates show YouTube expanding AI beyond content creation into editing, discovery, shopping, and creator management.
