YouTube Expands Shopping Affiliate Program to 35 Countries and Launches Gemini AI Editor

YouTube officially announced a series of major updates at its annual Made on YouTube event on Wednesday (local time). The Alphabet-owned company is expanding the reach of its shopping affiliate program to 35 countries and bringing a Gemini artificial intelligence (AI)-powered editing tool to creators. The move marks a new chapter in the video platform's competition with TikTok and Instagram for the hearts of content creators.

The expansion of the shopping affiliate program took center stage. YouTube is targeting 35 countries before the end of the year, a significant increase from its current coverage. The platform already has more than 1.3 million creators enrolled in the program. Notably, Amazon products will soon be taggable by creators in India and Brazil, with tags displaying localized offers based on the viewer's location. The move opens new revenue opportunities for creators in emerging markets while strengthening YouTube's position as a content-driven shopping engine.

On the editing side, YouTube introduced a conversational editing tool for Shorts and the YouTube Create app, powered by Gemini. The tool guides creators through the editing process, including trimming pauses and rearranging clips for better pacing. YouTube Studio also gets new features: feedback on early drafts, thumbnail generation that matches a channel's style, and A/B testing of up to three video versions to measure audience retention. Starting in 2027, A/B testing capability will expand to Shorts. The Dynamic Thumbnails feature lets creators submit multiple thumbnail images and lets YouTube's system choose which version each viewer sees. The Ask Studio AI assistant is also available in the mobile app.

The platform is also testing a voluntary AI comment moderation system that learns each creator's habits. YouTube will combine voice and face detection in its likeness protection tool to improve matching accuracy, with image detection available on mobile devices. In addition, YouTube plans to test live auto-dubbing in early 2027, a feature that converts a creator's speech into other languages in real time so audiences can follow along in their own language. The Live Showdowns feature lets creators combine streams for competitive broadcasts, with viewers able to send Super Chats to support their favorite creators.

For viewers, YouTube introduced Custom Feeds for US users on web, mobile, and TV, enabling the creation of personalized home tabs using conversational prompts. The Ask YouTube feature adds shopping queries, including product comparison tables and follow-up questions within the video watch page. Shorts will also get a series format that lets creators organize clips into seasons and episodes, a feature that began rolling out on Wednesday.

"We want to make sure every creator, wherever they are, has the tools to grow and earn," a YouTube executive said at the event, as quoted by Reuters.

These developments have significant implications for Indonesia's creator ecosystem. With the expansion of shopping affiliates, Indonesian creators have the opportunity to access the global market and increase revenue through product links. However, they need to adapt to local e-commerce regulations and applicable tax policies. In addition, adopting Gemini AI tools can speed up content production, but also demands new skills in operating the technology. Competition with other platforms such as TikTok Shop, which has been popular in Indonesia for longer, will be a challenge in itself.

Going forward, YouTube's move underscores the industry's direction toward integrating AI and e-commerce into content platforms. The question is whether Indonesian creators can make the most of this opportunity, or fall behind due to infrastructure and digital literacy limitations. Only time will tell, but preparing early is key.