EXCLUSIVE: YouTube is testing a feature that lets creators use Google Gemini to brainstorm video ideas

YouTube is testing an integration with Google Gemini to help creators brainstorm video ideas, titles and thumbnails. The Google-owned company announced the launch of the new Brainstorm with Gemini feature in a video posted to its Creator Insider channel.

A YouTube spokesperson told TechCrunch that the feature is available to select creators as a part of a small, limited experiment. YouTube will consider feedback from creators before deciding whether to roll out the feature more broadly. 

The new tool could give YouTube an edge over other social media video platforms frequently used by creators, as it offers them something that’s not available on these competing platforms. In addition, it makes sense for Google to incorporate its AI into its video platform in order to encourage creators to use its AI tools instead of other popular platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Brainstorm with Gemini is similar to another AI feature that YouTube launched in testing back in May, which is an AI-powered content inspiration tool that gives creators video topic ideas that their audience is interested in and then generates an outline of talking points to jump-start the creation process. 

The spokesperson told TechCrunch that creators now have the option to get the same sort of help, but with Gemini, which is the brand name for the family of AI large language models used in a lot of Google products. YouTube sees the new addition as a way to gauge whether creators prefer the inspiration tool, the Gemini integration, or both when it comes to getting help with content ideas.

Creators who are part of the experiment can open up YouTube Studio, type out a video idea into the search bar, then be presented with two options: the inspiration tool and the Brainstorm with Gemini feature. Although the inspiration tool already helps creators come up with video ideas, YouTube wants to test whether creators also find it helpful to brainstorm with Gemini as well.

While platforms like TikTok and Instagram are currently focusing on using generative AI to give creators the ability to build digital versions of themselves, YouTube is zeroing in on using the technology to help creators build their content.