YouTube Will Automatically Identify AI-Created Videos

Get ready for a major change on YouTube: the platform will start automatically labeling videos generated by artificial intelligence. And it is more than necessary, since creating fake realities is increasingly easy with AI tools. But does this solve the problem?

This is where it gets interesting. YouTube already tried something similar in 2024, but it was almost make-believe. Back then, AI videos were so clunky they gave themselves away. Today, things have changed. Models like Seedance, Runway, and Google's Veo have raised the bar, making videos more realistic and coherent than ever. So, YouTube decided to tighten its belt and make these labels more visible, while also automating part of the process.

Now, creators still need to disclose if they used AI when uploading videos, but those who used to deceive will now have to think twice. The platform will use "new internal signals" to identify AI content, especially in videos with significant use of photorealistic AI. But what are these signals? Google wasn't very clear, but mentioned two sure triggers: C2PA metadata indicating a purely AI origin and the use of Google tools like Veo.

For the user, the tags will be more in your face. In horizontally shot videos, the label will appear right below the video, and in Shorts, the marking will be an overlay on the video itself. It's a small ellipse with "AI" and an info symbol, easy to see, but YouTube didn't say if it will be clickable.

Of course, there can still be AI videos without this new label. The system is aimed at "photorealistic and significantly altered or AI-generated" content. Animated videos or those using only a few AI elements will continue with disclosures in the extended description.

Ultimately, this initiative by YouTube is an important step so we are not fooled by videos that look real but are pure digital fantasy. Let's see how this unfolds, but one thing is certain: the line between real and artificial is becoming increasingly blurred. And it's up to us, users, to stay alert.