news YouTube’s AI is going to start showing ads at the absolute worst time for viewers

[Cpvr]

YouTube viewers are going to start seeing ads on videos at the worst possible moments thanks to Google’s Gemini AI.


YouTube ads have been a controversial subject for years now, with the platform finding more ways to implement them while raising the price of Premium in the process.

And it’s earned the site a boatload of cash, as in 2024 alone, as YouTube reportedly raked in over $36 billion from advertisements.

Now, the site has announced plans to target viewers when they’re most engaged – meaning right when you’re at the edge of your seat watching a video, you could be forced to ensure a round of commercials.

YouTube tests “Peak Point” ads​

On May 14, the Google-owned platform announced a new artificial intelligence feature called “Peak Points.”

As reported by CNBC, Gemini, Google’s AI, can identify parts of videos where viewer attention is at its highest, such as emotionally impactful moments, and suggest placing an ad after it, just as viewers are the most invested.


Peak Point ads could help creators earn more money as they’re coming when engagement is highest.


In an example shared by YouTube, a man proposes and the couple shares a kiss. YouTube then recognizes this as a “peak” moment and suggests an ad window immediately following it.

The AI model is trained by analyzing video transcripts and frames. While currently just a pilot program, it’s expected to roll out over the course of 2025.

For those not wanting to put up with these new ads, YouTube has launched a new Lite version of Premium for a cheaper price and without all the bells and whistles as its standard counterpart.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1923048421943804337

The platform is also testing a Spotify-style Premium subscription for couples or roommates where two people can effectively get their own Premium accounts for a cheaper price than paying for both separately.

Source: https://www.dexerto.com/youtube/you...-the-absolute-worst-time-for-viewers-3196253/

 

[Harsh World]

To be Frank, I don't know why they didn't do this sooner.

Is it because only AI could tell? I don't think so, as the algorithm could have picked up on peak points already, as they're already viewable to you and me on most YouTube videos. If you hover over the play bar, you can see the most-watched time segments of videos, like 1:20-1:45, will spike, followed by 3:55-4:28, for example. So, they already know the juiciest portions of a video without the use of AI and could've implemented this much sooner. I believe it's just a way to sell their AI more than anything, because they already have information on the most played times of a video.

This is nothing new, though. Every TV show since I've been alive ends on a peak point, right into ads. So, why not YouTube?

 

[Harsh World]

I don't think so, as the algorithm could have picked up on peak points already, as they're already viewable to you and me on most YouTube videos.

Before posting this, I went to several YouTube videos to add an image to this, and it looked like they may have taken the feature away because of the 10 or so I went to, this wasn't there.

However, in this video, it is.



So, it might be internally known and the publisher able to hide peak points so that their audience can't skip to the best portions, increasing their ad revenue. Only a theory though because I'm unsure why it wasn't there on the 1st video I went to...

I drew red lines before peak points, as you can see three ads prior just after reaching the peak or fading away, if you don't have YouTube Premium (the "empty" lines).

The spots that YouTube placed their ads already probably aren't ideal for them to be inserted, so all YouTube would need to do is shift them a couple of seconds forward. Though, as you can see, they already have the most viewed portions (that people watch over for whatever reasons), so I don't think this would take an AI-breakthrough to achieve.

 

[King Belieal]

I would not criticize this move as it is a way for the platform to generate revenue. I am just imagining how it would be that one is engrossed in a video and an ad just pops up. I just imagine me screaming "oh.................... YouTube". But it is what it is.