LTK and YouTube have launched AI tools to streamline affiliate commerce, helping shoppers find products, brands discover creators, and creators monetise content. US affiliate marketing spend is expected to reach $13.81 billion this year, up 11.3%, according to eMarketer. LTK introduced a conversational search feature that increased product click-outs by 84% since rolling out earlier this month. The platform also unveiled an agentic tool for marketers to build campaigns and Auto-draft, which helps creators turn photos into posts via Siri. YouTube demoed shopping in its Ask YouTube feature, allowing viewers to purchase products through creator affiliate links. It will also automatically localise tagged products for international viewers. LTK faces competition from ShopMy, which raised $70 million last year at a $1.5 billion valuation, and newer entrant Phia.

YouTube has introduced new AI-powered creator tools to help improve video performance. The Ask Studio feature provides personalised feedback on draft videos, suggesting alternative titles and thumbnails based on channel analytics and user comments. From 2027, creators can A/B test three different cuts of Shorts. A Dynamic Thumbnails feature lets YouTube automatically select which thumbnail to show viewers. The platform will also auto-tag products using AI to support affiliate programmes, with Amazon's affiliate programme expanding beyond the US. YouTube is piloting real-time auto-dubbing for live videos and launching "live showdown" features for co-hosted streams. Platform data shows over half of top creators see most views on household TVs. Microdrama content has surpassed 6.5 billion views, with watch time increasing 50% year-over-year.

YouTube is expanding its AI-powered "Ask YouTube" conversational search feature to include shopping capabilities. The tool, which uses natural language processing to help users find relevant content, will now offer organised product recommendations, comparison tables, and the ability to ask follow-up questions on video watch pages. The company reported that over 140 million people used Ask YouTube in June, representing a 500% increase since December. The feature employs a custom Gemini model that matches viewer queries to specific moments in videos. YouTube says the expansion responds to user behaviour trends, as viewers increasingly rely on creator opinions when making purchasing decisions. The feature presents results combining both Shorts and long-form videos for topics ranging from travel planning to skill-building guides.