YouTube to Implement Stricter Measures on Realistic AI-Generated Content
YouTube has announced plans to implement stricter measures on realistic AI-generated content hosted on its platform. In an official statement, the company expressed the need for creators to disclose when they have produced altered or synthetic content that appears realistic, including the use of AI tools. These changes will be rolled out gradually over the next few months and into the following year.
This move by YouTube is part of a broader effort to address the challenges posed by generative AI in content creation, which includes deepfakes, voice cloning, and disinformation. The platform will introduce new options for creators to indicate whether their content includes realistic AI-generated or AI-altered material. For instance, this could include videos that feature events that never happened or content that falsely depicts individuals saying or doing things they never actually did.
Jennifer Flannery O’Connor and Emily Moxley, vice presidents of product management at YouTube, explained that the policy update aims to maintain a positive ecosystem in light of generative AI’s new storytelling capabilities. Although YouTube already has policies in place to prevent misleading content, the introduction of AI technology has the potential to offer new ways of misleading viewers. YouTube believes it’s crucial to ensure that viewers are aware if a video has been altered or synthetically created.
To inform viewers about the nature of the content they are watching, YouTube will introduce a new labeling system. Labels will be added to the description panel and video player to indicate when content has been altered or is synthetic. This will be particularly important when discussing sensitive topics such as elections, ongoing conflicts, public health crises, or public officials.
YouTube will also automatically label content created using its own generative AI products, such as AI-powered video creator Dream Screen, as altered or synthetic. The company has shared mock-ups of potential labels, although these may evolve over time.
Creators who choose not to disclose the use of AI may face penalties, including content removal or suspension from the YouTube Partner Program. Additionally, YouTube intends to enhance its content moderation tools by deploying AI-powered systems to improve the speed and accuracy of identifying and handling content that violates the new rules.
In response to concerns about deepfakes and artist imitation, YouTube will allow individuals to request the removal of AI-generated content that simulates identifiable individuals, including their faces or voices, through a privacy request process. Requests will be evaluated based on factors such as whether the content is parody or satire, whether the person making the request can be uniquely identified, or whether it features a public official or well-known individual.
Furthermore, YouTube will establish a policy that allows artists or music publishers to request the removal of AI-generated music that mimics an artist’s unique singing or rapping voice. The company will consider factors such as whether the content is part of news reporting, analysis, or critique when evaluating these requests.
While striving to strike a balance between new AI applications and community safety efforts, YouTube acknowledges that this is just the beginning of their journey to unlock new forms of innovation and creativity. They emphasize their commitment to collaborating with creators, artists, and other stakeholders in the creative industries to build a future that benefits everyone.
