There’ll be no hiding behind AI on YouTube anymore.
Social media titan YouTube is sending a stern, but simple, message to site creators who use AI to create videos.
Go ahead and use the technology, but if you don’t admit you’ve used AI to create content, we’ll pull the video down and take further action against you.
The new rule, which was laid out by company executives in a YouTube blog post on November 14, lays down the law about being transparent with creators’ AI use, especially with Generative AI tools that can easily fool viewers into what they’re seeing is real.
“Generative AI has the potential to unlock creativity on YouTube and transform the experience for viewers and creators on our platform,” said Jennifer Flannery O’Connor and Emily Moxley, vice presidents for product management at Google-owned YouTube. “But just as important, these opportunities must be balanced with our responsibility to protect the YouTube community.”
Executives of companies that regularly post on YouTube may think of the rule as friendly advice or view the mandate as an effective warning label. What they can’t do is ignore the new AI content creation guidelines.
The blog post noted it’s “in everyone’s interest to maintain a healthy ecosystem of information” on YouTube, and creating “fake” content can damage that ecosystem.
“We have long-standing policies that prohibit technically manipulated content that misleads viewers and may pose a serious risk of egregious harm,” the blog post noted. “However, AI’s powerful new forms of storytelling can also be used to generate content that has the potential to mislead viewers—particularly if they’re unaware that the video has been altered or is synthetically created.”
Over the next few months, YouTube says it will roll out updates that inform viewers when the content they’re seeing is synthetic.
“Specifically, we’ll require creators to disclose when they’ve created altered or synthetic content that is realistic, including using AI tools,” O’Connor wrote. “When creators upload content, we will have new options for them to select to indicate that it contains realistic altered or synthetic material.”
That could mean an AI-generated video that realistically depicts an event that never happened, or content showing someone saying or doing something they didn’t actually do, Moxley adds.
With a mammoth 2024 U.S. Presidential election on the horizon, for example, YouTube indicates it will get serious about separating what’s real and what’s AI next year.
“This is especially important in cases where the content discusses sensitive topics, such as elections, ongoing conflicts, public health crises, or public officials,” the blog post noted. “Creators who consistently choose not to disclose this information may be subject to content removal, suspension from the YouTube Partner Program, or other penalties.”
Reality Bytes
YouTube will let its audience that content “may be altered or synthetic” in a pair of notifications:
“A new label will be added to the description panel indicating that some of the content was altered or synthetic,” O’Conner says. “And for certain types of content about sensitive topics, we’ll apply a more prominent label to the video player.”
No doubt, YouTube content creators and the business interest interests they represent may not appreciate having their visual art labeled as artificially generated via AI going forward.
Yet with a brand to protect and with guardrails a priority, YouTube believes it’s taking the right steps to let viewers know whether what they’re seeing is real or not on their favorite channels.
“We’re still at the beginning of our journey to unlock new forms of innovation and creativity on YouTube with generative AI,” the blog post stated. “We’re tremendously excited about the potential of this technology, and know that what comes next will reverberate across the creative industries for years to come.”
“Now, we’re taking the time to balance these benefits with ensuring the continued safety of our community at this pivotal moment—and we’ll work hand-in-hand with creators, artists, and others across the creative industries to build a future that benefits us all.”
Brian O’Connell, a former Wall Street bond trader and best-selling author, is a prominent figure in the finance industry. With a substantial background as an ex-Wall Street trader, he has authored two best-selling books: ‘The 401k Millionaire’ and ‘CNBC’s Creating Wealth’, demonstrating his profound knowledge of finance and investing.
Brian is also a finance and business writer for esteemed national platforms and publications, including CNN, TheStreet.com, CBS News, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, and Fox News.
