YouTube Shorts unveils new AI voiceover and caption features

YouTube has introduced several new features for YouTube Shorts, including a text-to-speech video narration tool that adds an artificial voiceover to videos, similar to TikTok's robotic voices often used for promotions. The process for adding this feature is similar to TikTok’s: after creating text, you tap a new "add voice" icon located in the upper-left corner and choose from one of four available voices, compared to TikTok’s wider selection.

Additionally, YouTube is rolling out auto-generated captions that can be added directly within the app, eliminating the need for third-party apps like CapCut. These captions can be customized with different fonts and colors, similar to the manual text overlay feature in YouTube Shorts.

Furthermore, YouTube has added new Minecraft-themed effects, including a green screen background and a minigame called Minecraft Rush.

These new features reflect the ongoing trend of video platforms adopting each other's popular elements. YouTube has incorporated several TikTok features, such as live video previews in the Shorts feed, while TikTok continues to extend the length of its videos. YouTube’s strategy to make Shorts more like TikTok appears to be successful, benefiting both the platform and its creators.