YouTube Creating New Tools That Identify AI-Generated Content
Still in early stages, the tools would automatically recognize content created by AI that replicate a creator’s likeness or voice.
YouTube is stepping up efforts to address the growing concern of artificial intelligence (AI) misuse in videos with new tools aimed at helping creators protect their likenesses from unauthorized AI-generated content. The video platform revealed the development of two features designed to discern and handle AI-generated content that uses voices, faces, or other digital representations of well-known figures like musicians, actors, and athletes.
The first of these tools, called "synthetic-singing identification technology," will be incorporated into YouTube’s existing Content ID system. This new feature will enable musicians to automatically identify AI-generated content mimicking their singing voices. A pilot program is slated for the first half of 2025 as the tool is still in the early stages.
The second tool will extend these protections beyond the music industry and is still in the buildout process. YouTube plans to introduce a detection system that will allow individuals from various industries to manage AI-generated content that features their likeness. This technology could benefit a wide range of creators, including actors, athletes, and influencers, though the company has not specified a release timeline for this tool.
It's not yet certain how exactly creators will interact with these new tools once they are released. However, YouTube’s existing Content ID system offers rightsholders several choices when unauthorized content is detected, including removing the content or claiming ad revenue. These new AI detection features could potentially offer similar solutions for creators concerned about the misuse of their voices or likenesses.
While YouTube is embracing AI with tools that assist creators in generating content ideas, it is also working to prevent the technology’s abuse. One growing issue is AI firms scraping YouTube’s data to train their models. YouTube has stated that scraping its data violates its terms of service and vowed to combat such actions. At the same time, the platform recognizes that certain creators might have different opinions on how their content is used by third parties and is developing tools that would give them more control over these decisions.
YouTube emphasized its commitment to responsible AI development, claiming that AI should not replace creativity, but rather boost it. The platform is focused on working with creators and partners to ensure that technological advancements magnify their work, while also implementing safeguards to address concerns over the misuse of AI-generated content.