This simple AI trick can turn any YouTube video into notes

Long YouTube videos can be packed with useful information, but finding the time to rewatch them, or take notes manually, isn't always practical.

Thanks to artificial intelligence, there's a simple trick that lets you turn many YouTube videos into concise summaries, study notes or key takeaways using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot. Best of all, you don't need any browser extensions or paid software.

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Step 1: Open the video transcript

Many YouTube videos include an automatically generated transcript.

On desktop, open a video, click More (or the three-dot menu, depending on the interface), then select Show transcript. The transcript will appear in a panel beside the video. From there, you can copy the text.

Not every video has transcripts enabled, especially if the creator has disabled them or if captions are unavailable.

Step 2: Paste it into an AI tool

Once you've copied the transcript, paste it into your preferred AI assistant.

Instead of asking a vague question, use a specific prompt. For example:

• "Summarise this video in five bullet points."

• "Give me the key takeaways."

• "Turn this transcript into study notes."

• "Explain this content as if I'm a beginner."

• "Create a revision guide with headings and bullet points."

The more specific your prompt, the more useful the output is likely to be.

Step 3: Always double-check the results

While AI is excellent at condensing long transcripts, it isn't perfect.

Large language models can occasionally misunderstand context, omit important details or introduce inaccuracies. For anything involving education, work, legal matters or health advice, it's worth comparing the AI-generated notes with the original video before relying on them.

AI tools are particularly good at processing large amounts of text, making YouTube transcripts an ideal input. Rather than replacing the original content, this method can help you review long lectures, interviews, tutorials and podcasts much faster.

Want to know more AI tips? Check out the links below or click here to see Khaleej Times' coverage on technology.

Written by

Husain Rizvi

Husain Rizvi is a Senior Features Writer who covers entertainment and lifestyle stories and has a profound interest in tech (games) and sports. When he’s not working, you can find him at the gym, or finishing a boss fight in a video game.