YouTube tackles AI-generated content with new transparency rules for creators

Generative AI is all the rage right now. Between OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Microsoft's DALL-E, there's no shortage of impressive AI models in development. However, it is important to consider the ethical implications and potential risks associated with these advanced technologies, especially when it comes to content creation. This has been a hot topic for a minute. It became increasingly clear that some sort of solution was needed to address the problems arising from deepfake technology and other AI-generated content. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram and Meta-owned Threads, have already raised this issue and started implementing measures to combat it. Now YouTube is also addressing this challenge with a new tool that requires creators to disclose when their videos feature realistic AI-generated edits.

In a community post today, YouTube announced its new guidelines and requirements for creators regarding uploading AI-generated content to the platform. When uploading content, creators will now be asked if their videos contain “significantly edited or synthetically generated” material that could be mistaken for authentic footage. This disclosure will not be necessary for simple modifications, special effects, or blatantly unrealistic AI creations.

Examples of modified or synthetic content | Source: YouTube Help

YouTube will display labels to inform viewers about AI-generated content. Most of the time, these labels will appear in the expanded description of the video. For videos covering sensitive topics like health, politics or finance, the label will be placed prominently on the video itself.