YouTube’s conversational video editing tool lets creators make edits in natural language
YouTube announced a bunch of new creator tools at Wednesday’s Made On YouTube event, including a conversational editing tool that uses natural language to refine both long- and short-form footage.
“A one-hour shoot can be 10 hours or more in the edit. So, what if we could speed that process along without sacrificing any of our creative control?” YouTuber Happy Kelli shared on stage.
In a chat interface, creators give the AI instructions on how to help them put a video together. In Happy Kelli’s example, she shares footage of her dancing in different outfits and asks the AI to select the best take for each outfit. Then, she adds music and transitions that go along with the dance.
“If at any point I want even more control, I can jump back into the editing timeline and manually adjust things myself,” she said. “Overall, conversational editing turns the process of editing into a literal conversation with an infinitely patient helper. It’s a collaborative partner that edits with you, not for you.”
This feature can also add text overlays, remove pauses in speech, and more. It can also make suggestions to the creator based on the context of the conversation.
While some creators may find that this tool saves them time and speeds up the often tedious process of video editing, others may feel that their individual editing style sets their videos apart and be reluctant to relinquish control to an AI.
Conversational editing will be available for both YouTube Shorts and the YouTube Create app in early 2027.
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Amanda Silberling is a senior writer at TechCrunch covering the intersection of technology and culture. She has also written for publications like Polygon, MTV, the Kenyon Review, NPR, and Business Insider. She is the co-host of Wow If True, a podcast about internet culture, with science fiction author Isabel J. Kim. Prior to joining TechCrunch, she worked as a grassroots organizer, museum educator, and film festival coordinator. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and served as a Princeton in Asia Fellow in Laos.
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