YouTube introduced Your custom feed, a new feature that builds playlists from a prompt typed by the user. The tool appears on the home page, where a cue like “15‑minute HIIT workouts with no equipment” or “deep‑dive tech podcasts about AI for work” produces a dedicated playlist that can be pinned to the top of the feed.

Google rolled out a separate AI‑video detection system earlier this month, so the playlist tool dovetails with its broader push to surface algorithmically curated content. The prompts are editable, letting users tweak the feed on the fly, and the system requires that search and watch history be enabled. Currently, the feature serves signed‑in viewers in the U.S. on mobile or desktop.

By delegating curation to AI, YouTube shifts from manual channel selection to conversational requests, mirroring Spotify’s Prompted Playlist launch earlier this year. The move could tighten engagement for users who crave quick, tailored content, while giving creators a new avenue to reach niche audiences. At present, the feature is live in English and available only to U.S. accounts.

Competition in the AI‑playlist space is heating up. Apple’s new MusicKit AI tool announced last month promises similar conversational curation, and TikTok has begun testing AI‑generated “For You” bundles. YouTube’s integration may force other platforms to refine their own recommendation engines, potentially reshaping how streaming services monetize user attention.