In brief
- YouTube says it will step up detection and labeling of low-quality AI-generated videos as it pushes out more generative tools.
- New features include AI-generated Shorts using creators’ likenesses, and expanded AI-assisted music creation.
- The company frames AI as a creative aid as it pushes further into a TV-style streaming model and living-room viewing.
YouTube is preparing a broad expansion of AI tools in 2026 while promising tougher enforcement against low-quality synthetic content, a balance that will shape how creators make money and how viewers experience the platform.
In a letter to the community on Wednesday, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said a central part of the roadmap is YouTube’s effort to reduce “AI Slop.”
“As an open platform, we allow for a broad range of free expression while ensuring YouTube remains a place where people feel good spending their time,” he wrote.
While the platform has long emphasized openness and minimal editorial judgment, the company now says it must actively protect the viewing experience.
“With this openness comes a responsibility to maintain the high-quality viewing experience that people want,” Mohan continued. “To reduce the spread of low-quality AI content, we’re actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combatting spam and clickbait, and reducing the spread of low-quality, repetitive content.”
YouTube is also strengthening protections around likeness and identity, building on its Content ID framework to give creators and artists more control over how their faces and voices are used in AI-generated content.
“Because labels aren’t always enough, we remove any harmful synthetic media that violates our Community Guidelines,” Mohan said. “Finally, we remain committed to protecting creative integrity by supporting critical legislation like the NO FAKES Act.”
Mohan also said creators will continue to be required to disclose when they publish realistic synthetic or altered media, adding that YouTube will also label content produced with its own internal AI tools.
Despite these promises, Mohan acknowledged that new changes often face skepticism, but said the company has a responsibility to ensure quality does not erode as AI tools become more powerful.
At the same time, YouTube is pushing deeper into AI-assisted creation, with other new features planned for 2026 include tools that let creators generate Shorts using AI models of themselves.
“AI will act as a bridge between curiosity and understanding,” he wrote. “Ultimately, we’re focused on ensuring AI serves the people who make YouTube great: the creators, artists, partners, and billions of viewers looking to capture, experience, and share a deeper connection to the world around them.”
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