YouTube is updating its policies to better identify when authentic-looking videos were created using artificial intelligence.
This shift comes as social media platforms are flooded with AI-generated videos, images, and music.
In response, Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube said Wednesday it would more prominently display existing labels on videos that reveal whether they have been altered or generated by AI. For long-form videos, the label appears just below the player and above the video description. For short content, the disclosure will appear as an overlay on the video.
“Even if it looks real, viewers will immediately know if it was created by AI,” YouTube creator Rene Ritchie said in a video explaining the changes.
YouTube already requires creators to disclose their use of AI for realistic content. The platform also adds tools to automatically identify and label AI materials.
YouTube said the changes were “to balance transparency and creator control,” and that disclosure labels alone do not affect how a video is recommended or whether it can be monetized.
Other major online content players are also making moves to respond to the prevalence of AI “slop.” Audio streaming service also launched in April Spotify now has certified badgesIt is called “Verified by Spotify” and indicates whether the song was created by AI or by humans.
The company said in a statement that the badge is intended to provide viewers with “additional insight and transparency about music and artists.”
