At its Made on YouTube event in New York, YouTube unveiled a suite of new AI-powered tools aimed at empowering podcasters and Shorts creators, reinforcing its push to dominate the evolving digital content landscape. The company is betting heavily on artificial intelligence to help creators overcome barriers to entry, particularly in video production, while strengthening its position against rivals like Spotify, TikTok, and Apple. One of the most significant announcements is a new AI tool designed to help audio-only podcasters transition to video. Using Google’s Veo AI technology, the feature will automatically generate 30- to 60-second video clips from podcast transcripts. These AI-generated visuals—customizable and context-aware—can be used as standalone YouTube Shorts or integrated into longer-form videos. The tool is initially limited to select U.S. podcasters, with a broader rollout expected by 2026. YouTube’s goal is to help creators who lack video production skills or don’t want to invest in complex studio setups. As T. Jay Fowler, YouTube’s senior director of product management for podcasts and music, explained, the feature lowers the barrier to entry, allowing podcasters to “dip their toe” into video content without the usual hurdles. This move comes as video podcast consumption grows rapidly. According to a Morning Consult report, 42% of U.S. adults now prefer video podcasts, up from 32% in 2022. YouTube already leads in podcasting, with 30% of weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. favoring the platform, according to Edison Research. The company’s success stems from its strong library of talk-show style channels from creators like Joe Rogan, Rhett & Link, and Theo Von. Now, YouTube aims to expand beyond talk formats by helping more audio-focused creators adapt to video. In addition to the audio-to-video tool, YouTube introduced a new AI-powered clip generator for video podcasters. This feature uses AI to automatically identify and extract highlight moments from long-form videos, turning them into engaging Shorts. This will help podcasters boost discoverability and audience engagement, especially since 44% of new podcast listeners begin on YouTube, according to a June 2025 report from Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights. YouTube also rolled out enhancements to its Shorts ecosystem. A new version of Google’s Veo AI, called Veo 3 Fast, now generates 480p videos with lower latency and includes audio—marking a major upgrade. Creators can now animate still images using motion from other videos, apply artistic styles like pop art or origami, and add virtual props or characters via text prompts. These tools are available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, with global expansion planned. Another standout feature is the Speech to Song remixing tool, powered by Google’s Lyria 2 AI music model. It allows creators to turn dialogue from videos into catchy, customizable soundtracks—complete with mood tags like “chill” or “danceable.” The feature is being tested and will roll out to more U.S. creators soon. Finally, YouTube launched “Edit with AI,” which transforms raw footage into a first draft by selecting key moments, adding music, transitions, and even AI-generated voiceovers in English or Hindi. The tool is currently in testing on Shorts and the YouTube Create app. With over 100 million hours of podcasts consumed daily on YouTube as of July 2025, the company is leveraging AI not just to improve content creation but to deepen user engagement and expand its influence across audio and video formats.