The news: YouTube is piloting Edit with AI, a remixing tool that turns raw smartphone footage into draft Shorts. The system automatically selects highlights, adds transitions, suggests music, and even generates voiceovers in English or Hindi. The goal is to give creators a starting point for Shorts rather than making them edit from scratch, per TechCrunch.

Rolling out in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, the tools can be accessed in both YouTube Shorts and the YouTube Create app. The streamer is also adding more Veo 3 features to Shorts, including one that lets users transfer motion from a video onto an image.

YouTube pushed out similar AI tools for advertisers in June. Its tools and generative AI (genAI) models have the potential to be an industry standard for both creators and advertisers. It also expanded livestreaming with ads and AI clip integrations.

Why it matters: Short-form content is YouTube’s fastest-growing format, and it’s pulling ahead of TikTok and converting to purchases among teens. 

• 60% of US teen boys and 55% of teen girls watch YouTube Shorts ads, compared with 58% and 48%, respectively, on TikTok, per Precise TV. 
• More importantly, 51% of boys and 43% of girls say they make purchases after watching a YouTube Shorts ad, beating TikTok’s 44% and 41%.

AI as a creative accelerator: YouTube is betting on AI lowering the barrier to on-device video editing, opening the door for creators at every level. That means more Shorts, more watch time, and more ad inventory—plus other ripple effects, including:

• Creator efficiency. AI cuts editing time by drafting clips.
• Content scale. More Shorts content widens YouTube’s lead over TikTok.
• Language options. Early English and Hindi support hints at wider global ambitions.
• Ad opportunity. A growing audience means more short-form ad space.

Yes, but: Overuse of AI could flood the platform with formulaic or low-effort clips. That risks disengaging viewers, undermining trust, and making it harder for quality content—and ads—to stand out.

Our take: YouTube is positioning itself as the easiest place to make and watch short-form videos. For marketers, this creates a twofold opportunity: more ad inventory and a larger, more engaged audience than on TikTok. 

But automation also risks sameness—brands should track whether AI-generated clips retain the authenticity that drives engagement.

Marketers should prioritize Shorts in their media mix now. Test campaigns to remain competitive and build creative strategies that balance AI efficiency with human authenticity.