YouTube new AI feature now lets users control their feed: A step-by-step guide

YouTube is rolling out a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature that could soon take much more control over what videos users see on the platform.

The update is designed to improve recommendations by studying users’ viewing habits, searches, watch time, likes, comments and even the kinds of videos they skip.

With the update, users can now create personalised video feeds by typing custom requests instead of depending completely on the platform’s recommendation algorithm.

For example, instead of YouTube automatically suggesting videos from your usual watching habits, you can type prompts such as “show me something different from my regular feed” or “help me relax after work with meditation videos under 10 minutes" or someone can simply type “funny videos.”

YouTube’s AI will then study the request and create a customised recommendation feed based on those instructions. Once the personalised feed is created, users can pin it at the top of their YouTube homepage.

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Here's how to access YouTube custom feeds:

• Open the YouTube app.


• On the homepage, click on ‘Your custom feed.’ Make sure the research history is enabled.


• Type a custom prompt or select from automated suggestions.


• Feed will start showing the content according to your preference. You can edit it as well if you want to change.

AI or real

YouTube has also introduced a new feature that would help people easily identify whether a video was created using AI or if it is real footage.

Earlier in 2024, YouTube started adding labels on videos when creators said they had used AI tools. These labels were usually small and not very noticeable. Now, YouTube says it will make these AI labels more visible for viewers.

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The platform also plans to automatically add labels on videos if its system detects "significant photorealistic AI use." Videos that look real, such as AI-generated people, voices, events or scenes, could get tagged even if the creator does not disclose that AI was used.

The move comes after AI tools have become more advanced and are making it harder for people to tell the difference between real and fake videos online.

"If a creator doesn’t specify whether or not they used AI, but our systems detect significant photorealistic AI use, we will now automatically apply a label," the company said.

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