YouTube now requires disclosure when realistic content is made with AI

YouTube is introducing a new tool in Creator Studio that will require creators to disclose when content a viewer could easily mistake for a real person, place or event, is made with altered or synthetic media, including generative AI. 

The disclosures will appear as labels in the expanded description or on the front of the video player.

The new label is meant to strengthen transparency with viewers and build trust between creators and their audience, YouTube said in a blog post. 

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Some examples of content that require disclosure includes using the likeness of a realistic person where the face of one individual is replaced with another's or when a person's voice has been synthetically generated to narrate a video. 

Another example is when footage of real events or places have been altered. This includes making a real building appear as if it has caught fire or altering a cityscape to look different than in reality. 

Lastly, an example of content that requires disclosure includes generated realistic scenes. This may come in the form of showing a realistic depiction of fictional major events such as a tornado moving toward a real town. 

That said, YouTube does not require creators to disclose if generative AI was used for productivity such as script generation, content ideas or automatic captions. 

The platform also won't require creators to disclose when synthetic media is unrealistic and if the changes are inconsequential. 

This includes cases such as colour adjustments or lighting filters, unrealistic content such as someone riding a unicorn, special effects and beauty filters or other visual enhancements. 

YouTube first announced these disclosures in November 2023. According to YouTube, while generative AI has the potential to unlock creativity on YouTube, it will introduce new risks and will require new approaches. 

"We believe it’s in everyone’s interest to maintain a healthy ecosystem of information on YouTube. We have long-standing policies that prohibit technically manipulated content that misleads viewers and may pose a serious risk of egregious harm," said YouTube in a statement last year.

"However, 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." 

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