Video sharing platform YouTube has used its Made on YouTube event to unveil a series of new products and features that it says will “power the next decade of creation, connection, and business, on YouTube”.
Chief among these is greater reliance on AI, with chief product officer Johanna Voolich (pictured) saying that the introduction of new AI capabilities in the context of YouTube Shorts will make “creation easier and more fun”.
Voolich said: “We’ve started integrating Google DeepMind’s Veo 3 Fast into Shorts so you can easily create video backgrounds or clips with sound, for free. And new capabilities powered by Veo allow you to apply motion, restyle videos, and add props to your scenes. Edit with AI will help turn raw footage into a first draft video. Speech to song turns video dialogue into a funny soundtrack for your next Short.”
There are also developments to YouTube Studio, she added: “Creators already use YouTube Studio for insights and inspiration for what to create next. We’re now adding new tools designed to be a true creative partner across every phase of the creation journey. Create collaborations with other creators to expand your reach. Or gather insights from our new conversational tool, Ask Studio. And get ready for A/B testing for titles, updates to the Inspiration Tab and upgrades to auto-dubbing. Finally, we’re expanding our likeness detection tool, which allows creators to detect and manage videos made with AI using their facial likeness.”
Intriguingly, YouTube is also leaning into the growing trend towards live viewing on the platform. “On average, over 30% of daily logged-in YouTube viewers watched live content in Q2 2025 alone,” observed Voolich. “We’re making our largest upgrade to live ever by introducing new ways to connect with existing fans, reach new audiences, and better monetise live streams.”
The growth of video podcasts is also on YouTube’s radar, according to Voolich. “The past few years have seen podcasts’ cultural relevance transform through video; we’re bringing new tools to help podcast creators reach and connect with their audiences more deeply. These features will help podcasters easily create engaging video clips and Shorts from full episodes.”
Other developments include new ways for music artists to connect with their fans, and updates that will support brand/creator relationships. “We’re adding updates to brand deals and Shopping to make brand collaborations easier than ever. We’re accelerating these deals through a new initiative and new product features to make sure those partnerships succeed – like the ability to add a link to a brand’s site in Shorts. And YouTube Shopping is expanding to more markets and merchants and getting help from AI to make tagging easier.”
