If you’re not subscribed to YouTube Premium or YouTube Premium Lite, or if you’re unsure how to block or bypass ads on the widely-used video streaming platform, you’ve probably noticed an influx of annoying advertisements.
However, this hasn’t stopped Google, the world’s foremost advertising company, from trying out new ad formats and targeting those YouTube users who employ content blockers or utilize the Firefox browser.
Google is gearing up to innovate on YouTube with its newly unveiled feature dubbed Peak Points, designed specifically for advertisers, as reported by CNBC.
According to YouTube, Peak Points allows advertisers to display ads during the most captivating segments of videos. The feature utilizes Gemini, Google’s artificial intelligence, to identify these key moments within a video, positioning ads to appear right afterward.
Google claims that Peak Points will increase ad efficacy on the platform, with ads using this feature expected to gain higher impressions and click-through rates than traditional ads on the site.
How does it work? YouTube explained that the Peak Point AI model is constructed using video transcripts and various elements like specific frames. This data aids in pinpointing critical moments within a video, optimizing ad placements during times of peak viewer engagement.
Google has not shared comprehensive information about the feature or its training methodology. It remains unclear whether it will replace traditional ads that would have aired or if it will add another ad alongside the existing video ads.
Currently, YouTube is testing Peak Points on the platform, with plans to roll it out to more users, advertisers, and videos in the future.
For those not subscribed to Premium, Peak Points adds yet another layer of frustration to YouTube’s advertising strategy. Whether this feature will primarily provide Google with enhanced ad visibility and revenue, or if it will effectively serve advertisers as intended, is yet to be seen. One thing is certain: regular users will once again face the consequences of this AI-driven advertising strategy.
Image Source: JarTee / Shutterstock
