YouTube adds an AI tool that builds a custom video feed from your text

In short: YouTube is rolling out a feature that lets you type what you want to watch, and it makes a custom video feed for you.

What happened

YouTube announced a new AI feature that creates a personalized video feed based on a written description, which YouTube calls a prompt (basically, a short request you type in). You can describe an interest, a mood, or a topic, like asking for “guided meditations under 10 minutes” or “deep-dive tech podcasts about AI.”

You can find it by opening YouTube’s homepage and looking for a tab called “Your custom feed.” From there, you type your prompt into a text box, or choose from YouTube’s suggested prompts. YouTube says you can also pin the custom feed to the top of your homepage, like saving a playlist so it is easy to return to later.

The feature is rolling out in English to signed-in users in the US, on the YouTube mobile app and on desktop. YouTube says you need to have your search and watch history turned on to see the “Your custom feed” tab.

You can edit your prompt at any time to refresh the feed and get different results. If the feed does not match what you asked for, you can use a three-dot menu on the tab and select “Something wrong?” to send feedback to YouTube.

Why it matters

Many people feel like their home feed is a mystery. This gives you a more direct way to steer what you see, like telling a librarian what kind of books you are in the mood for instead of browsing random shelves.

Source: The Verge AI