Generative AI is changing the way YouTube creators express themselves, from developing ideas to experimenting with tools that enhance the creative process. However, as a viewer you want more transparency about whether or not the content you are watching has been AI-altered or synthetic.
That’s why today YouTube is introducing a new tool in the Creator Studio that allows you, as a creator, to show your audience when realistic content, which can easily be seen as real, has been created using modified or synthetic media, including generative AI.
As previously announced in November, these reveals will appear as labels in the extended description or at the front of the video player. YouTube does not want to require creators to label content that is patently unrealistic, animated, contains special effects, or uses generative AI for production support.
This is what you need to know about using generative AI and YouTube
This new label aims to increase transparency with viewers and build trust between creators and their audiences. Some examples of content that require a label include:
- Using the likeness of a realistic person: Digitally altering content to replace one person’s face with another, or synthetically generating a person’s voice to narrate a video.
- Alterations to images of real events or places: Such as making a real building appear to be on fire, or altering a real cityscape to make it appear different from reality.
- Generating realistic scenes: Showing a realistic depiction of fictional key events, such as a tornado moving toward a real city.
Of course, YouTube understands that creators use generative AI in various ways during the creation process. That’s why the video platform doesn’t want to force them to reveal whether they’ve used generative AI for productivity purposes, such as generating scripts, coming up with content ideas, or adding captions automatically.
Additionally, creators are not required to disclose when synthetic media is unrealistic and/or the changes are insignificant. These use cases include:
- Clearly unrealistic content, such as animation or someone riding a unicorn through a fantastic world
- Color adjustment or lighting filters
- Special effects such as background blur or vintage effects
- Beauty filters or other visual enhancements You can find a more comprehensive list of examples in the YouTube Help Center. For most videos, a label will appear in the extended description, but for videos that cover more sensitive topics – such as health, news, elections, or finance – YouTube will show a more prominent label on the video in the playback window.
Labels now visible on all YouTube platforms
In the coming weeks, labels will be introduced across all YouTube platforms and formats, starting with the YouTube app on your phone and coming to desktop and TV soon after. YouTube understands that it may take time for everyone to get used to these new processes and features. In the future, YouTube will certainly look at measures against creators who repeatedly fail to disclose this information.
Transparency is a must, otherwise…
Sometimes YouTube will even add labels if this has not been done, especially for content that could mislead or confuse people, such as modified or synthetic content. It looks friendly, but we cannot rule out that it could have a major impact on your YouTube account. So be transparent, for yourself, for your followers and for the YouTube police.
In addition, YouTube continues to collaborate within the industry to increase transparency around digital content. It is not without reason that the video platform is a leading member of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA).
Creators are the heart of YouTube
YouTube understands that creators, aka creators, are the beating heart of YouTube. After all, they play a crucial role in helping their audiences understand and embrace the world of generative AI. This process will continually evolve. YouTube will continue to improve based on the experiences of their creators. With this increased transparency, YouTube hopes everyone will better understand and appreciate how AI continues to power human creativity.
No worries about the quality of the YouTube screenshots in this post. We have requested sharper images and hope to receive them soon.
