Brett LindenbergTo add an AI assistant to a video, give the assistant the words spoken in the video and give viewers a place in the player to ask. In Mindstamp, that assistant is Genie AI. Create a transcript, turn on Genie, add the facts the video leaves out, and test it with one question the video answers and one it does not. Viewers then ask in their own words and get short answers drawn only from your transcript and notes, and you get a list of every question they asked. The demo below starts with a choice you make before launch: what the assistant should say when the video cannot settle a question.
How to add an AI assistant to a video with Genie AI
Genie AI is on Core and higher plans.
Step 1: Start with a video that people talk through
Genie reads the transcript, which is the text of what people say in the video. It does not see the picture, so a narrated product demo or lecture works well. A video with only music and on-screen text gives Genie nothing to read. Transcripts work for videos you upload and for MP4 links. A video that plays from YouTube or from an HLS link cannot have a transcript, so upload the original file instead (see using YouTube videos in Mindstamp).
Step 2: Create the transcript and fix its mistakes
Open the video, select Transcript in the video menu, and select Create Transcript. It usually takes about half the length of the video. Then select Edit and correct product names, people's names, and numbers. Genie answers from this text, so a misheard price or name can end up in an answer. Transcripts are on every plan (see how video transcripts work).
Step 3: Turn on Genie AI
Open the Genie AI tab and turn on the switch. The switch appears only after the video has a transcript. Turning it on adds a Genie button to the player controls.
Step 4: Add the facts the video leaves out
Under Supplemental Info, add the facts viewers will ask about that nobody says on camera, such as prices, dates, contact details, and policy limits. Write them as plain statements: "The course costs $120 per seat. Teams of 10 or more can request a quote from [email protected]." Write each line as a fact, because Genie reads this box as source material. When a price or date changes, change it here the same day.
Step 5: Write suggested questions and a no-answer reply
Turn on Show suggested questions and enter one question per line. Viewers can tap a suggestion instead of typing, which helps people who do not know what to ask yet. If you leave the box empty, Genie offers "What is this video about?", "Summarize the main points", and "What should I remember?"
Then fill in Response when Genie cannot answer. The default is "I'm sorry I don't know." A reply that names a next step works better, for example: "The video does not cover that. Email [email protected] and we will answer." In the demo above, the right choice states the limit and points to the approved policy, so the viewer does not act on a guess.
Step 6: Invite questions where they come up
The Genie button sits among the player controls. To invite questions at a set moment, give a button or another clickable interaction the Open Genie AI click action and place it where questions tend to start, such as right after a dense technical section or next to the moment the video mentions a price or a policy. Opening Genie pauses the video, and closing Genie resumes playback.
Step 7: Decide whether Genie should speak
To have Genie read its answers aloud in an AI voice, turn on Speak Genie answers aloud in the video's Settings.
Step 8: Test it before you share
Select Preview and ask one question the video answers and one it does not. The first should get a correct answer, and the second should get your no-answer reply. Then publish the video and share the link or embed it.
What the assistant knows and what it does not
Genie sends the viewer's question, the transcript, and your supplemental information to an AI model, with instructions to use only those sources. Its answers are short.
| The viewer asks | What Genie does |
|---|---|
| About something said in the video | Answers from the transcript. If viewers can use the seek bar, Genie also lists the times that support the answer, and selecting one jumps the video there. |
| About a fact in your Supplemental Info | Answers from your notes |
| About something only shown on screen, such as a slide or a chart | Cannot see it. Say it aloud in the video or add it to Supplemental Info. |
| A general question unrelated to the video | Sends your no-answer reply |
| In Spanish, while watching the video in Spanish | Answers in Spanish, the language of the question |
| In an offline package | Not available. Genie needs an internet connection. |
Genie answers wherever the video plays online, on the share link and in the embed on your site. If you translate the video, your custom suggested questions are translated with it (see how to translate an interactive video).
Read what viewers ask and improve the video
The Genie AI tab lists every question under Viewer Questions with Genie's answer. Select Unanswered to see the questions the video and your notes could not answer, and select Download to save the list as a CSV. Each unanswered question is either a fact to add to Supplemental Info or a gap to cover the next time you record.
In a product video we used to demonstrate Genie in 2023, viewers asked "How much will it cost?" and "Can I get one for free?" The script mentioned neither, so Genie could not answer. One line about price in the notes covers the first question. The second shows what buyers hope for, and the next version of the video can address it.
Can you send a video to an AI assistant instead?
Some people search for the reverse: how to send a video to ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude so the assistant can answer questions about it. That helps you, the person who holds the file. Your viewers still need answers where they watch. The vendors' help pages said this when we checked them in October 2026:
- The Gemini app accepts video uploads of up to 2 GB each, with up to 5 minutes of total video, or up to 1 hour with a Google AI Pro or Ultra plan (Gemini Apps Help). Developers can send video files to the Gemini API, which by default reads 1 frame per second of video, and YouTube links work there as a preview feature (Google AI for Developers).
- Claude's help center lists documents and images as file types you can upload, and no video formats (Claude Help Center).
Any assistant can read a transcript. In Mindstamp, select Download on the Transcript page and paste the text into the chat. If the video is already in Mindstamp, you can also connect ChatGPT or Claude through Mindstamp MCP. The assistant then reads the transcript, interactions, and viewer results itself, and on plans with API access it can add interactions such as questions and buttons to the video. The account owner turns on AI features first (see connecting Claude or ChatGPT to Mindstamp).
| Your goal | Route |
|---|---|
| Viewers ask questions while they watch | Genie AI in the Mindstamp player |
| You want a summary of a short video file | Upload it to Gemini, or paste the transcript into any assistant |
| You want ChatGPT or Claude to work with your Mindstamp videos and results | Connect it through Mindstamp MCP |
| You want quiz questions drafted from the video | The AI question builder (see how to turn a video into a quiz with AI) |
Genie AI or Ask ChatGPT?
Mindstamp also has an Ask ChatGPT click action, which opens a ChatGPT window in the player. It answers from general knowledge and knows nothing about your video, and it answers viewers only on a video where Genie is also turned on. Use Genie for questions about the video and Ask ChatGPT only for general knowledge beside it, such as a formula. Our post on Mindstamp and ChatGPT compares the two and covers the April 2023 launch that came before Genie.
Common questions
Can I add an AI assistant to a YouTube video?
Not while the Mindstamp video plays from YouTube, because a YouTube-based video cannot have a transcript. Upload the original file, or use Replace source video to swap it in and keep your interactions. Then create the transcript and turn on Genie.
Which Mindstamp plans include Genie AI?
Core and higher plans. Transcripts are on every plan. See Mindstamp pricing for the current plans.
Does Genie make up answers?
Mindstamp instructs Genie to use only your transcript and notes, and Genie sends your no-answer reply when they do not contain the answer. Check its answers in Preview before you share, and read the Viewer Questions list in the first week. If an answer is off, correct the transcript or the notes.
What happens to the questions viewers type?
Genie sends each question, with the transcript and your notes, to an AI model to write the answer, and it saves the question and answer in the Genie AI tab. For how Mindstamp's AI features handle data, and how to get a written statement for a security review, see Does Mindstamp use my data to train AI models?
Is Mindstamp's Genie AI related to usegenie.ai?
No. Genie AI is a feature of the Mindstamp video player. The usegenie.ai address now redirects to a separate chat app at chatbotai.com (checked October 2026).
Start with the video that gets the most follow-up questions
Pick the video your team answers the same emails about, such as a product walkthrough or a policy module. Create and correct the transcript, turn on Genie, and add the three facts people ask about most. Write a no-answer reply that names a person or an inbox, and add one Open Genie AI button after the hardest section. After a week, open the Unanswered filter and decide which gaps belong in the notes and which belong in the next recording. To watch the setup, see the Genie AI tutorial and the Genie AI feature page. For other ways AI fits into interactive video, read what AI can do for interactive video and our look at AI and interactive video in training and education.
