YouTube is experimenting with automatic video enhancements for shorts, and many creators call it intrusive.
The company says the test uses machine learning to reduce footage, reduce blurring and improve clarity. However, creators argue that these changes will change jobs without consent, and there is a risk of damage to their reputation.
Musician and YouTuber Rick Beato noticed that his video was a bit off. “I was like, 'Man, my hair looks strange,'” he said. “And as I saw it, it almost seemed like I had put on makeup,” Beat, who runs a channel with over 5 million subscribers, said initially he thought he was imagining things.
His friend Rhett Shull saw a similar issue in his own video. “If I had wanted this terrible, excessive trembling, I would have done it myself,” Shall said in a video on the subject. “But the bigger thing is that it appears to be being generated. I think it's deeply misrepresenting what I'm doing and my voice on the internet,” he added that this change could undermine trust with the audience in a “small way.”
Shull compared the original file he uploaded to processed playbacks on YouTube. He pointed out what he described as an oil painting appearance with smoother skin, sharper edges and textures he felt unnatural.
Other creators said details of their clothing and faces also appear to have been changed.
YouTube checks the experiment
Rene Ritchie, head of YouTube editor and creator liaison, confirmed the test in an X post. “We are using traditional machine learning technology to experiment with YouTube shorts that use traditional machine learning technology to improve clarity of the video during processing (as is what modern smartphones do when recording videos).
YouTube emphasized that while the enhancements are not generative AI, the tests are limited to shorts.
The company has not said how many users will be affected or whether the creators will be able to opt out. They also did not respond to questions from the BBC about whether the choice would be offered at the end.
Consent and timing issues
Creators say lack of transparency is a real problem. They argue that the changes to their work should be clearly explained, no matter how small.
Some people fear viewers will apply their own artificial filters and assume that they may undermine reliability.
Samuel Woolley, chairman of Dietrich at the University of Pittsburgh, BBC This problem is different from AI tools on smartphones. “You can decide what you want to do with your phone, and whether or not to turn on certain features. Here's a company that manipulates content from large users without the consent of people who make the video.”
Just as YouTube has tightened its monetization rules for AI-driven, low-video videos, there's a stir. While many welcomed the crackdown, the use of AI-style processing in the platform's own author content raised fresh questions.
Critics say timing highlights the gap between how YouTube handles rogue content and how it quietly edits real work.
