YouTube Is Testing a Feature That Uses Artificial Intelligence to Skip to the Best Parts of a Video
YouTube is constantly trying out new features for its users, which they call experiments. The latest experimental feature is called Jump Ahead, which allows you to jump to the best part of a YouTube video.
The new feature works in conjunction with the double-tap feature already available in the YouTube app on Android or iOS, which allows you to jump through a video in 10-second increments until you reach the part you’re interested in.
Jump Ahead will analyze user viewing data and combine it with machine learning algorithms to automatically determine what it thinks is the next “best” moment in a video that a viewer might be interested in, and offer you a hint that will lead you to that moment . hover your mouse over the Jump Ahead on-screen button.
YouTube says the Jump Ahead feature will work for creators when watching their own videos, even if they are not currently subscribed to YouTube Premium . Otherwise, the Jump Ahead feature is currently being tested with a small group of YouTube Premium subscribers in the US. There is no word yet on when this feature might become more widespread.
YouTube previously introduced a similar feature in the form of a graph built into a video’s progress bar that shows the “most played” parts of that video. The most-played feature was also originally exclusive to YouTube Premium subscribers, so there’s always a chance that if Jump Ahead proves popular and effective, it could become an all-access option in the future. Last year, the company also tested, then removed and then reintroduced the ability to watch any video at double speed by long-pressing on the video player from within the YouTube app.