YouTube is set to introduce new rules and labels that will require creators on its platform to disclose whether or not they used artificial intelligence to create content in their videos.
In a new blog post, YouTube Product Management Vice Presidents Jennifer Flannery O'Connor and Emily Moxley revealed that the change will occur "in the coming months," requiring creators to disclose when they have used AI tools to create "altered or synthetic content that is realistic."
One of the labels YouTube plans to roll out includes one in the description of a video. As you can see in the image below, the label provides a disclaimer that the applicable video has "altered or synthetic content." O'Connor and Moxley mention that an additional label will be created for content that covers "sensitive topics," such as elections or ongoing conflicts.
Creators that fail to use AI labels in a video producing "synthetic content" may be subject to several penalties, including suspension from the YouTube Partner Program, content removal, and or other consequences that YouTube did not further disclose.
"AI's powerful new forms of storytelling can also be used to generate content that has the potential to mislead viewers — particularly if they're unaware that the video has been altered or is synthetically created," O'Connor and Moxley wrote in the blog post.
Outside of new AI disclaimers in videos, YouTube will also make it possible for people to request the removal of AI-crafted and other "synthetic or altered content" using a privacy request. Additionally, its music partners will be able to request the removal of AI-generated music content that mimics an artist's singing or rapping voice. The latter is especially noteworthy as the use of artificial intelligence in the music industry has sparked an ethics debate, with the technology being used to create fake songs from the voices of Drake, Kanye West, and Rihanna, to name a few.
The announcement is YouTube's latest attempt to combat misinformation and deepfake videos uploaded to the website while also addressing the growing popularity and use of artificial intelligence. AI tools have become more and more popular in recent years, but 2023 especially has seen a marked increase in their widespread usage.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.