Is that a conspiracy? For months, YouTubers have quietly grasped that something was missing from recent video uploads. Following a deeper analysis from popular music channels, Google confirmed that it is testing the ability to artificially enhance videos using AI. The company claims this is part of an effort to “provide the best video quality,” but it's odd that they started doing so without notifying the creator or offering a way to opt out of the experiment.
Google's test raised an eyebrow shortly after it began rolling out in YouTube shorts earlier this year. Users reported strange artifacts, edge distortions and distracting smoothness, bringing the appearance of AI change. I've zoomed in after taking a photo on my smartphone, and if you just notice things are overly sharp or look like oil paintings, that's the effect of Google's video processing tests.
According to YouTube Editor-in-Chief Rene Ritchie, this is not something like the AI feature Google packs into every other product. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ritchie said the feature is not based on generative AI, but uses “traditional machine learning” to reduce images while reducing blurring and noise. However, this is a distinction that is unchanged. It is the type of AI used to modify the video.
YouTuber Rhett Shull began investigating what was going on with his video after discussing the issue with fellow creators. He immediately convinced that YouTube was applying AI video processing without notifying anyone. He calls this “upscaling,” but he claims that Google's Ritchie is not technically technical.
