This new AI tool will summarize YouTube videos for you in seconds

Watching a YouTube video, whether for class, entertainment or research, requires both time and focus — both of which can sometimes be difficult to find.

The Google Chrome extension Eightify is here to help.

Also: This AI chatbot can sum up a PDF and answer your questions about it

The extension can provide users with YouTube summaries powered by ChatGPT within ten seconds, allowing users to get the key information without having to sit through a long video. 

The extension is also free to download, uses OpenAI's ChatGPT API and has over 40,000 users on Chrome Web Store. 

Also: Today's AI boom will amplify social problems if we don't act now, says AI ethicist

Because this sounded too good to be true, I put it to the test. To get straight to the point, I was impressed. 

Easy Installation 

To install the extension, all I had to do was visit Eightify's page in the Chrome Web Store and click on “Add to Chrome.” 

The installation took under a minute, and I was immediately ready to start using the extension in YouTube.

Side note: Since you do need Chrome to use the extension, if you don't have that downloaded you will want to install Google Chrome first.  

Testing the extension in YouTube

For the sake of this review, I used the extension on ZDNET's latest YouTube video. 

Once I started playing the video in YouTube, an Eightify button appeared in two different spots, on the right hand banner and next to the like and dislike button. 

To get started, I had to create an Eightify account, and once I did I was ready to start the summary generation. 

Also: How to use Wordtune AI to rewrite texts on your iPhone

As advertised, within seconds, the extension took the original eight minute video and condensed it into bullet points under an insights and summary tab. 

The summaries were easy to read, insightful and even included fun emojis to enhance reading experience. 

Now for the most important part — accuracy. 

Since I had already watched the entirety of the video beforehand, I was able to read through the Insights and Summary and verify the information.

Also: The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT and other noteworthy alternatives

The Insights tab was 100% accurate and presented all the major points of the video in a very digestible package. However, the Summary tab has one glaring error. 

The second point in the AI-generated summary said, “The Fire HD 10 Plus tablet is a major upgrade with a sleek metal design, 64GB storage, Wi-Fi 6 support, and a fingerprint reader.” 

However, what ZDNET contributor Jason Cipriani said in the video was the exact opposite. When he was talking about those specific specs, he was referring to the Fire Max 11. When he did mention the Fire HD 10 Plus, he was actually talking about how underwhelming it was. 

Also: How to use the Claude AI chatbot in Slack

Besides that one error however, everything was accurate and since the Summary does provide timestamps next to every bullet, it is easy to verify the information. 

Pricing 

Eightify is free to download from the Chrome Web Store, and you have access to three free summaries per week for videos 30 minutes or shorter. 

If you need unlimited summaries with no time limit, you can pay for a subscription at $4.95 per month or $3.95 per month with a yearly subscription. 

Bottom line 

If you want summaries on YouTube videos, this is a convenient tool. 

When I was in college, especially during the height of Covid when professors were constantly posting video lectures, a tool like this would have been extremely helpful in helping me better allocate my time. 

The tool would have been helpful even if I did watch the video, because the eight-point summaries would have been a great way to ensure that I understood the major points made in the lecture. 

Also: Your next phone will be able to run generative AI tools (even in Airplane Mode)

Like any AI model, this one is capable of getting information wrong. An easy way to circumvent this is by using the timestamps next to each summary point to visit the part of the video where that bullet point was taken from. 

This way you can either confirm or deny the major point and you can still avoid watching the entirety of the video.