YouTube to Require Creators to Disclose AI-Created Content

YouTube will add disclosure requirements and other rules for content created with artificial intelligence (AI).

These upcoming additions are part of the platform’s effort to implement and accommodate generative AI, Jennifer Flannery O’Connor and Emily Moxley, vice presidents of product management at YouTube, said in a Tuesday (Nov. 14) blog post.

“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,” O’Connor and Moxley said in the post. “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.”

The disclosure requirements and new content labels will be introduced over the coming months and will require creators to indicate that content has been altered or synthetically created, with or without AI tools, according to the post.

The post said the new label would be added to the description panel or, in the case of some sensitive topics, would be displayed more prominently on the video player. Content that violates YouTube’s Community Guidelines may be removed.

Creators who do not disclose this information may have their content removed or face other penalties, per the post.

Another feature that will be added in the coming months will allow individuals to request the removal of AI-generated or other synthetic or altered content that simulates the face, voice or other characteristics of an identifiable individual, according to the blog post.

Requests to remove material that is a parody or that involves well-known individuals will face a higher bar, the post said.

In addition, YouTube is continually increasing the speed and accuracy of its content moderation systems, which include both human reviewers and machine learning technology, according to the post.

The announcement of these upcoming features comes about a week after another leader in social media platforms, Meta, said it is imposing new controls on AI-generated ads ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Beginning next year, advertisers worldwide who post political ads or information about a social issue or an election will have to disclose whether that material has been digitally created or changed, including through AI.