YouTube gets Gemini Omni for free, but its best AI search features stay behind a paywall
YouTube has introduced new features at Google I/O 2026, including Ask YouTube and Gemini Omni. While Gemini Omni is available for free, Ask YouTube requires a subscription. The Ask YouTube feature allows users to search for videos using natural language queries, providing structured responses.
- ▪YouTube's new feature, Ask YouTube, offers a conversational search experience.
- ▪Gemini Omni is a tool for creators available in the YouTube Shorts Remix and Create app.
- ▪Ask YouTube is locked behind a paywall, while Gemini Omni remains free for now.
2 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 23 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
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Google I/O 2026 This story is part of our complete Google I/O coverage Updated less than 5 minutes ago At the I/O 2026, Google rebuilt two of YouTube’s core experiences from the ground up, and the results look genuinely useful. First, YouTube search is getting a new feature called Ask YouTube, which is more like AI Mode, but for the vast library of videos on the platform. Then there’s Gemini Omni, Google’s “create anything from anything” tool, which will be available in the YouTube Shorts Remix and Create app, the most disruptive announcement for creators. However, while Omni remains free for now, Ask YouTube is locked behind a paywall. With Ask YouTube, we’re bringing a new conversational search experience to @YouTube.
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