YouTube will let creators make Shorts with their own AI likeness as platform battles AI slop

YouTube will soon let creators make Shorts with their own AI likeness

YouTube Shorts viewers might soon see AI versions of their favorite creators when scrolling through their feeds. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced on Wednesday that creators will soon be able to make Shorts using their own likeness. "This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt, and experiment with music," Mohan wrote wrote in his annual letter. "Throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement." Shorts, which Mohan said now averages 200 billion daily views, is one of YouTube's most popular mediums. The company continues to invest in Shorts to sustain its viewership. While YouTube didn't share additional details about these likenesses, the new capability will join the platform's current AI tools for Shorts, including the ability to generate AI clips, AI stickers, AI auto-dubbing, and more. YouTube will also equip creators with new tools to manage the use of their likeness in AI-generated content, according to Mohan. While YouTube will allow creators to feature their own likeness in their videos, the Google-owned platform recently launched technology to prevent others from using it. Last October, YouTube rolled out likeness-detection technology to eligible creators to identify AI-generated content featuring the likeness of creators, such as their face and voice. Creators can then request the removal of AI-generated content. As with other social platforms, YouTube has dealt with the spread of AI slop. Mohan says the company is working to maintain a high-quality viewing experience. "Over the past 20 years, we've learned not to impose any preconceived notions on the creator ecosystem," Mohan wrote. "Today, once-odd trends like ASMR and watching other people play video games are mainstream hits. But with this openness comes a responsibility to maintain the high quality viewing experience that people want. 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 set to expand Shorts with new formats, including image posts, which are already popular on TikTok and Instagram Reels.

YouTube Will Soon Let Creators Make Shorts Using Their AI Likeness

Aaron covers what's exciting and new in the world of home entertainment and streaming TV. Previously, he wrote about entertainment for places like Rotten Tomatoes, Inverse, TheWrap and The Hollywood Reporter. Aaron is also an actor and stay-at-home dad, which means coffee is his friend. YouTube is continuing to lean into AI to help make content, and that next YouTube Short you watch might not contain real footage of its creator. CEO Neal Mohan announced the latest move in this trend in his annual letter on Wednesday: Creators will soon be able to make Shorts using their own AI likeness. "This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt and experiment with music," Mohan wrote. "Throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement." Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source. YouTube's Shorts, which are short-form videos designed for quick viewing, draw roughly 200 billion daily views, Mohan said. YouTube hasn't provided details about the new AI tool or how it will fit in the current Shorts ecosystem. Google, YouTube's parent company, announced in September the addition of its generative AI tool, Veo 3, to YouTube Shorts, allowing anyone to create AI-generated videos, further putting the platform on a more competitive footing with TikTok. Not all AI is welcomed When it comes to AI-generated likenesses, YouTube may soon allow creators to use them, but that doesn't mean they can copy others' images. The company rolled out likeness-detection technology last fall to help prevent unauthorized use of a creator's face or voice in videos. As YouTube adds AI creation tools, it is also targeting AI slop and misleading deepfakes. "It's becoming harder to detect what's real and what's AI-generated," Mohan wrote. "This is particularly critical when it comes to deepfakes." The company's policy for policing and removing AI-generated content from its open platform continues to face challenges. "To reduce the spread of low-quality AI content," he wrote, "we're actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combating spam and clickbait and reducing the spread of low-quality, repetitive content."

YouTubers will be able to make Shorts with their own AI likenesses

Your YouTube Shorts feed might soon be filled with a lot more AI-generated content from your favorite creators -- including AI-generated versions of the creators themselves. In his annual letter released today, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan says that sometime this year, creators will be able to make Shorts using their "own likeness." Mohan didn't share further details about these likenesses. "We'll have more to share soon, including the launch date and how the feature will work," according to YouTube spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle. But the likenesses are part of a growing push from YouTube into AI tools; this year, creators will also be able to use AI to make games with a text prompt (a feature already available in closed beta) and "experiment with music," Mohan says. YouTube already offers creators tools like an AI chatbot for channel analytics, AI-powered auto-dubbing, and AI-generated video clips for Shorts. YouTube has also had to reckon with AI slop on its platform, and Mohan's letter has a brief section dedicated entirely to discussing the topic. "Over the past 20 years, we've learned not to impose any preconceived notions on the creator ecosystem," according to Mohan, but he says that "with this openness comes a responsibility to maintain the high quality viewing experience that people want." He also says YouTube is "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." Shorts are getting other new features, too. Mohan says that YouTube will be integrating "different formats," including image posts, "directly into the feed" this year. He reports that Shorts now average "200 billion daily views."

YouTube Acknowledges Slop Problem, But It's Still Full Steam Ahead on AI Features

(Credit: Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) YouTube is building a way for creators to make AI versions of themselves to feature in Shorts as it simultaneously pledges to clean up the AI slop proliferating on the platform. The feature was announced today as part of YouTube CEO Neal Mohan's annual letter, which calls the platform's expansion of its AI tool the "new creative frontier." Details are scant; Mohan said only that it launches this year and that "you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness." Last year, YouTube introduced AI likeness detection, allowing creators to automatically detect when their faces are used in AI-generated videos. The platform also labels all videos that include AI-generated elements made through its own tools, and creators are obligated to disclose when a video includes what it calls "realistic" altered footage. Mohan says you'll soon be able to make AI-generated games with a single text prompt. That's something YouTube has been experimenting with in beta using Gemini 3, but this is the first sign the platform plans to launch it for all creators. He also confirms new tools to help creators "experiment with music." Mohan also addresses the platform's battle against AI slop. "To reduce the spread of low-quality AI content, we're actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combating spam and clickbait, and reducing the spread of low-quality, repetitive content." Still, it's not going to ban slop channels just yet. "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 writes. "Over the past 20 years, we've learned not to impose any preconceived notions on the creator ecosystem. Today, once-odd trends like ASMR and watching other people play video games are mainstream hits." YouTube confirmed that over a million channels used AI video-creation tools in December, while over 20 million viewers used the platform's Ask features, which allow you to pose questions to Google's AI models without leaving YouTube. YouTube also confirmed that new YouTube TV plans are "coming soon" but didn't share a launch date. The plans will offer a cheaper subscription with genre-specific packages, including a dedicated sports deal to access FS1, NBC Sports Network, ESPN networks, and ESPN Unlimited.

YouTube CEO Says Battling 'AI Slop' a Top Priority in 2026

YouTube Chief Executive Officer Neal Mohan said combating the rise of low-quality "AI slop" on the platform will be a top priority in 2026, emphasizing the need to embrace artificial intelligence while better safeguarding the video app and its users. As it becomes harder for users to distinguish real videos from AI-generated ones, "we're focused on ensuring AI serves the people who make YouTube great -- the creators, partners and billions of viewers looking for a deeper connection to the world around them," Mohan wrote in a blog post highlighting the company's plans for the year. Good-quality AI content will get YouTube's support. "AI will be a boon to the creatives who are ready to lean in" and "will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement," he added. Like other major tech and social media companies racing to integrate generative AI into their offerings, YouTube parent Alphabet Inc. is grappling with how to harness its power without putting off YouTube's valuable advertisers, creators and ordinary users. In September, the company announced a slew of generative AI tools for video creators, as it remains in intense competition with rivals including ByteDance Ltd.'s TikTok and Meta Platforms Inc.'s Instagram. On average, more than 1 million YouTube channels used its AI creation tools daily in December, according to Mohan. Some of the tools are powered by Google DeepMind's latest video-generation model, Veo 3 Fast. Mohan said the platform will continue prioritizing its content creators, offering them "the most stable path to earn," and pursuing its place as "the new TV." In addition, Mohan pledged greater transparency and protections from users employing AI to mislead and spam others, including by labeling content made using YouTube's AI products and removing "any harmful synthetic media" that violate its rules. Mohan also touted new detection tools aimed at helping creators manage the use of their likeness in AI-generated material, including deepfakes, on the site. AI-generated videos are changing the user experience not only on YouTube, but also on YouTube Kids, its youth-focused site. The growing volume of AI children's content on both platforms, and the way some of it is designed to keep kids hooked, has raised concerns from parents and child development experts. Mohan said that "building the best place" for children and teens, and "empowering parents to protect their kids in the digital world, not from the digital world," are also top YouTube priorities this year.

YouTube chief says 'managing AI slop' is a priority for 2026

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said reducing "AI slop" and detecting deepfakes are priorities for the Google-owned video site in 2026. "It's becoming harder to detect what's real and what's AI-generated," Mohan wrote in his annual letter published Wednesday. "This is particularly critical when it comes to deepfakes." With artificial intelligence penetrating every aspect of technology, Google has been investing heavily in building out the infrastructure to support new and growing workloads while also bolstering its Gemini models and adding AI features to its portfolio of business and consumer products. But as one of the leading sources of user-generated content on the internet, YouTube is dealing with an explosion in the number of videos created by AI. The term AI slop refers to the mass of low-quality AI content that's showing up across social media platforms. In addition to YouTube, companies such as Meta and TikTok rely on recommendation systems powered by AI that surface personalized videos designed to keep users engaged for longer periods of time. Mohan said the world is at an "inflection point," where "the lines between creativity and technology are blurring." "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," Mohan wrote. He said that YouTube clearly labels videos created by AI products and requires creators to disclose if they've produced altered content. The company's systems also remove "harmful synthetic media" that violates its guidelines, Mohan wrote. Critical to YouTube's growth among users, creators and advertisers is keeping the platform desirable for all parties involved. In December, YouTube said it would be expanding its "likeness detection," which flags when a creator's face is used without their permission in deepfakes. The feature is being rolled out to millions of creators in the YouTube Partner Program. Mohan's letter said the company will use AI as a tool and "not a replacement," adding that on average more than 1 million YouTube channels used its artificial intelligence creation technology daily in December. The company is expanding the way creators can take advantage of AI, he said, including on YouTube's short-form video offering called Shorts, which competes with TikTok and Instagram Reels. "This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt, and experiment with music," he wrote. Mohan described creators as "the new stars and studios," and said YouTube creators are "buying studio-sized lots in Hollywood and beyond to pioneer new formats and produce beautifully produced, must-see TV." The company also wants to provide new ways for creators to earn, from "shopping and brand deals to fan funding features like Jewels and gifts." Another priority, Mohan said, is making YouTube "the best place for kids and teens" and said this year the company plans to make it easier for parents to set up new kid accounts and to easily switch between them. YouTube said in September that it's paid out more than $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies since 2021. Earlier in the year, analysts at MoffettNathanson estimated that If it was a stand-alone business, YouTube would be worth between $475 billion and $550 billion.

YouTube CEO promises more AI features in 2026

YouTube is just as wary of the rise of AI slop as you, and that's why more AI-generated content is coming to the platform in the near future. In a lengthy outlining YouTube's 2026 plans, CEO Neal Mohan said the company will continue to embrace this new "creative frontier" by soon allowing its creators to throw together Shorts using their AI-generated likeness. Mohan didn't elaborate further about how this feature will work when it launches, but acknowledged the "critical" issue of deepfakes currently polluting the web, and reaffirmed his company's support for new such as the NO FAKES Act. YouTube also allows its own creators to protect themselves against unauthorized use of their likeness using a detection feature that scans newly uploaded videos for matches. Other fresh AI (note: in no way slop) features referenced in the post include the currently-in-beta no-code platform, which lets you make games using Gemini 3 with a single text prompt, as well as new music creation tools. At the same time, Mohan said YouTube is building on its existing systems designed to combat spam, clickbait and "low quality AI content." He added that an average of six million daily viewers watched more than 10 minutes of AI autodubbed content in December, despite the that rival platforms have had with similar features. Mohan didn't say when we can expect the new AI likeness generation feature for Shorts, but if that sounds like the sort of content you'd rather not encounter on your lunch break, here's a little PSA: the company now allows you to its short-form videos from your YouTube search results altogether.

YouTube says AI is 'not a replacement' for expression, while letting creators replace themselves with AI

YouTube is doubling down on AI as a content production method by announcing that creators will be able to use an AI likeness of themselves to make Shorts. That means, conceivably, you could start watching Shorts from your favorite YouTubers that don't contain any real footage at all. Just like enjoying some AI-generated music in your Spotify Discover mix, the move into AI from streaming platforms like YouTube will allow them to dramatically increase the amount of available content much faster. YouTube unveiled Shorts to directly compete with TikTok and now, according to CEO Neal Mohan, the short-form videos draw around 200 billion views every day. "This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt, and experiment with music," Mohan wrote in his annual letter. "Throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement." Fighting AI slop Although creators will soon be able to use AI to turbocharge their Shorts, there are going to be some limitations on possible deepfakes. YouTube has guardrails in place to pick up when a creator's voice or face is used without permission in other videos. In addition, the site will label any content created using its AI products and says that creators must disclose when they've created realistic, altered or synthetic content. Mohan addressed the issue of AI slop in his letter: "Over the past 20 years, we've learned not to impose any preconceived notions on the creator ecosystem. "But with this openness comes a responsibility to maintain the high quality viewing experience that people want. 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." Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

YouTube Plans AI Expansion in 2026 While Promising Crackdown on 'AI Slop'

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."

YouTube Creators Can Soon Make Shorts With Their Own AI Likeness | AIM

The content platform aims to tackle AI-generated content while fostering a community of creators. YouTube has announced a new initiative that will allow creators to post Shorts featuring their own likeness, a move revealed in CEO Neal Mohan's annual letter on January 21. He emphasised that while AI will play an increasingly prominent role in content creation, it is intended to serve as a tool for expression rather than a substitute for human creativity. "Over the past 20 years, we've learned not to impose any preconceived notions on the creator ecosystem. Today, once-odd trends like ASMR and watching other people play video games are mainstream hits." Mohan stated that the company clearly labels content created with its AI products and requires creators to disclose when they have produced "realistic, altered, or synthetic content". He also mentioned that the company will provide creators with new tools to control the use of their likeness in AI-generated content. "It's becoming harder to detect what's real and what's AI-generated. This is particularly critical when it comes to deepfakes. We clearly label content created by YouTube's AI products, and creators must disclose when they've created realistic, altered or synthetic content," Mohan said in the letter. To help reduce the circulation of low-quality AI content, the company is enhancing its existing systems, which have been effective at combating spam and clickbait and at reducing the dissemination of low-quality, repetitive content. In the letter, Mohan asserted that YouTube recognises that labels alone are insufficient, which is why it takes action to eliminate harmful synthetic media that breaches its community guidelines. They are enhancing the existing Content ID system to provide creators with improved tools for managing the use of their likeness in AI-generated content. Moreover, the company is committed to preserving creative integrity by endorsing significant legislation such as the NO FAKES Act (Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act). In the past four years, the company has disbursed over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media organisations, making a substantial impact on economic growth. In 2024, YouTube's ecosystem alone contributed $55 billion to the US GDP and supported more than 4.9 lakh full-time jobs as creators launched businesses and employed individuals in their communities. Mohan also mentioned a new AI feature on YouTube that allows game creation from simple text prompts. The platform already offers various AI tools for creators to enhance video accessibility, including Edit with AI, auto-dubbing in over 20 languages, and Dream Screen for AI-generated backgrounds in Shorts. In December, YouTube reported an average of over six million daily viewers who watched at least 10 minutes of autodubbed content. "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," Mohan added.

YouTube to launch AI likeness management tools for creators

YouTube will soon enable creators to produce Shorts featuring AI versions of themselves, CEO Neal Mohan announced Wednesday. This new functionality will join existing AI tools on the platform, which currently manages an average of 200 billion daily views for Shorts. Mohan detailed the upcoming feature in his annual letter, stating, "This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt, and experiment with music." He added that AI would "remain a tool for expression, not a replacement." The company has continued investment in Shorts, with the new capability expanding its suite of AI tools for the format. Current tools include AI clip generation, AI stickers, and AI auto-dubbing. YouTube also plans to provide creators with new tools for managing their likeness within AI-generated content. In October, YouTube introduced likeness-detection technology for eligible creators, allowing them to identify AI-generated content depicting their face and voice. Creators can then request the removal of such content. The platform has addressed the proliferation of AI-generated content, with Mohan asserting the company's commitment to a high-quality viewing experience. Mohan stated, "Over the past 20 years, we've learned not to impose any preconceived notions on the creator ecosystem." He elaborated, "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." In addition to AI developments, YouTube is expanding Shorts' formats to include image posts.

YouTube Will Soon Allow You to Clone Yourself for Videos

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced the change in his annual letter released earlier this week. He wrote that YouTube is planning a significant expansion of AI creator tools this year, including a new feature that lets creators generate Shorts using an AI clone of their own likeness. "This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt, and experiment with music," Mohan wrote. "Throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement." Mohan stated that more than one million channels used YouTube's AI creation tools daily in December. These tools include auto-dubbing, which lets creators easily translate their videos into other languages for new audiences, and Dream Screen, which turns written prompts into AI-generated backgrounds in Shorts. The new AI clone tool will give creators new ways to appear in content without filming themselves directly. The feature only applies to Shorts, YouTube's short-form vertical video format that now averages around 200 billion daily views. YouTube has not yet detailed how likeness capture, training or editing will work, nor when exactly the tool will roll out beyond "this year." An expert is concerned about the effects of AI clones on communication. Dr. Patrick R. Riccards is the founder and CEO of the Driving Force Institute, a history education platform. Riccards told Entrepreneur in an emailed statement that AI clones in Shorts are "the natural progression of AI in communications, born from letting AI write our quotes or smooth out our statements." "But when we hand this work over to our AI clones, we lose our authentic voice," Riccards cautioned. "Everything will start sounding the same, points will meld together, and the AI will be aggregating from the same stories and the same pools of knowledge. That may be great for those seeking a homogeneous media, but it takes away the unique voices, the distinct personalities, and what makes us human." According to Riccards, viewers will prefer "an authentic, inarticulate human" to a "polished, canned AI bot." He stated that "successful communication requires humanity." While YouTube is leaning into AI, it is also trying to avoid flooding viewers with low-quality "AI slop," or AI content lacking depth or originality. Mohan wrote in his letter that the company is enhancing existing ranking and moderation systems that have already been used to fight spam and clickbait. YouTube will tune these systems to reduce the spread of low-quality content. "Ultimately, we're focused on ensuring AI serves the people who make YouTube great: the creators, artists, partners, and billions of viewers," Mohan wrote.

YouTube Takes on OpenAI's Sora With AI-Generated Shorts Feature

The YouTube CEO said the company will experiment with music in 2026 YouTube has big plans for its platform and creators in 2026. The company is planning to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) more deeply in existing and new tools. The CEO of the streaming platform revealed on Wednesday that content creators will soon be able to use AI to generate Shorts in their likeness. While the executive did not elaborate on the specifics of the feature, it appears to be similar to what OpenAI did with its Sora app, where users can generate videos of themselves using text prompts. YouTube's Big AI Plans for 2026 In a blog post, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said, "This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt, and experiment with music." All of these are likely to be AI-powered capabilities, which can concern some creators if the company is relying too heavily on AI for content creation. Mohan also addressed those fears and added, "Throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement." Interestingly, the CEO did not share too many details about any of these new capabilities. It is unclear how the AI-powered game creation and music experimentation will work. However, Shorts' new makeover appears to be similar to what OpenAI did with the Sora app. But that's not all. YouTube will also bring new formats to Shorts. Just like Instagram Reels allows image posts, Mohan says users will be able to do the same with Shorts. These will be directly shared on the subscribers' feed. YouTube's focus area in 2026 will also be on the largest screens it is available on -- TVs. Mohan said the company will soon launch "fully customisable multiview and more than 10 specialised YouTube TV plans spanning sports, entertainment and news, all designed to give subscribers more control." Another focus area, as explained by Mohan, is the creator economy. The YouTube CEO said that this year, creators will see new ways to earn by creating content on the platform. Some of the ideas mentioned include shopping and brand deals (facilitated by YouTube) and fan funding features such as Jewels and gifts, which will be added alongside the existing Super Chat. Additionally, the company wants to expand YouTube Shopping, an affiliate programme that allows creators to showcase and sell products directly within their videos, Shorts, and live streams. In 2026, the company said it will build in-app checkout, allowing viewers to make purchases without leaving the platform.

AI to drive YouTube's evolution in 2026, says CEO Neal Mohan

YouTube is set to embrace artificial intelligence in 2026. AI will guide video creation, content discovery, and manage deepfakes. Creators are becoming media companies, producing high-quality shows. YouTube is also enhancing monetisation for creators and focusing on safety for young users. Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer working quietly behind the scenes at YouTube. In 2026, it will sit right at the centre of how creators make videos, how viewers discover content, and how the platform deals with deepfakes and low-quality uploads, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said in a blog post laying out the company's plans for 2026. More than a million channels were already using YouTube's AI creation tools every day in December, Mohan said -- a sign of how quickly creators are experimenting with the technology. This year, YouTubers will be able to make Shorts using their own likeness, play around with AI-generated music, and even create games using simple text prompts. Also Read: YouTube launches new updates to tailor viewing experience for teens "AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement," Mohan said, as YouTube looks to position artificial intelligence as a creative accelerator rather than a substitute for human imagination. At the same time, the company is tightening guardrails around AI-generated content. YouTube will continue to label AI-created media, require creators to disclose realistic altered or synthetic content, and remove harmful deepfakes that violate its policies. It is also expanding tools that allow creators to manage how their likeness is used in AI-generated content, while backing legislation such as the NO FAKES Act. To address concerns around low-quality, repetitive "AI slop", YouTube said it is strengthening systems that already combat spam and clickbait, aiming to preserve what it calls a high-quality viewing experience. Beyond AI, Mohan's bigger point is that creators are no longer just uploading videos -- they're building media companies. Viewers now turn to creators for everything from Super Bowl sidelines and Oscars red carpets to fan-driven coverage of Taylor Swift or BTS album releases. Some YouTubers are even buying studio-sized production spaces and making high-budget shows that look a lot like traditional television. Also Read: BBC to strike content deal with YouTube, FT reports Calling this content "user-generated" no longer makes sense, Mohan argued. These are shows created by people who green-light their own ideas. YouTube, he said, has effectively become "the new TV". The platform has led US streaming watchtime for nearly three years, and creators are increasingly filling the prime-time slots once owned by networks. YouTube today is everywhere -- on phones, laptops and living room TVs. People watch long videos, Shorts, podcasts, livestreams and music all in the same place. Shorts alone rack up around 200 billion views a day. In 2026, YouTube plans to mix things up further by adding formats like image posts into the Shorts feed, making it easier to keep up with favourite creators. Music will also get more attention, with continued investment in helping listeners discover new artists and understand the stories behind the songs. On television screens, YouTube TV is getting more flexible. The company plans to roll out fully customisable multiview options and more than 10 specialised subscription plans across sports, entertainment and news. YouTube also wants to make life easier for parents. Kids and teens use the platform not just for entertainment but to learn, and YouTube says it wants to keep that space safe. Parents will soon be able to set up kid accounts more easily and switch between profiles without friction. They'll also get more control over how much time children and teens spend scrolling Shorts -- including the option to turn it off completely, which YouTube says is a first for the industry. Also Read: YouTube creators turn entrepreneurs on growth in vernacular, connected TV: report The idea, Mohan said, is to help parents guide how their kids use YouTube, rather than push them away from it altogether. YouTube is also leaning harder into the creator economy -- an area where it already dominates. Over the past four years, the company has paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies. Now, it wants to give creators more ways to make money. Shopping, fan funding and brand deals are all getting a push. Soon, viewers will be able to buy products recommended by creators without ever leaving the YouTube app. Brand partnerships are also getting smarter tools, allowing creators to add or swap sponsored segments and turn older videos into ongoing revenue. "For every idea a creator dreams up, we provide the business model to match," Mohan said. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

YouTube Expands AI's Role in the Creator Economy | PYMNTS.com

The company framed AI as a core capability that will shape how creators make videos, how audiences discover them, and how YouTube manages quality as generative AI tools become more widespread. The blog post outlines new AI-powered creation tools, additional safeguards around misuse and early experiments in music and other formats. YouTube did not announce changes to revenue-sharing arrangements or describe how AI might alter creator payouts. AI Becomes Part of the Creation Process YouTube said it plans to roll out new AI-assisted tools that allow creators to generate content more directly within the platform. Mohan highlighted features that let creators make Shorts using AI-generated versions of their own likeness, as well as other early experiments. The company aims to give creators more ways to experiment and scale their work, while leaving creative decisions in human hands. On average, more than 1 million channels used YouTube's AI creation tools daily in December, the company said. The company also reiterated its focus on localization. YouTube has already introduced auto-dubbing features that translate videos into other languages and is looking to expanding access to content across languages. In December, YouTube averaged more than 6 million daily viewers who watched at least 10 minutes of auto dubbed content. "AI will act as a bridge between curiosity and understanding," Mohan wrote in the blog. "In December alone, more than 20 million users learned more about the content they watched through our Ask tool, asking questions like "What's the story behind this song's lyrics?" or "What ingredients do I need to make this recipe?" We're also using AI to make more videos accessible." Mohan also emphasized protections tied to identity. YouTube said it will continue expanding tools that help creators detect and manage unauthorized uses of their face or voice in AI-generated content. Those tools build on earlier efforts to label synthetic media. As reported by PYMNTS, YouTube now lets creators identify and request removal of AI-generated videos using their face or voice without consent. By embedding creation and localization tools directly inside YouTube, the company reduces reliance on external software. Scale Raises Concerns About Content Quality Alongside its push to expand artificial intelligence creation tools, YouTube acknowledged the risks that come with easier and faster content production. Mohan said the company is increasingly focused on managing low-quality or misleading AI-generated content, a problem he described as a growing concern for the platform. Mohan said managing "AI slop" is a priority for YouTube in 2026. YouTube has said it relies heavily on automated systems to identify spam, misleading videos and policy violations. Mohan said the company plans to strengthen those systems to address new forms of abuse enabled by generative AI. He did not outline specific enforcement thresholds or describe how YouTube will evaluate acceptable versus unacceptable uses of artificial intelligence in content creation. "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," Mohan wrote. The company said it plans clearer disclosure for certain types of AI-generated content and will continue removing synthetic media that violates its existing policies. Music Experiments and Questions on Monetization Mohan also pointed to music as an area where YouTube plans to experiment with AI. The company said it will introduce tools that allow creators to generate or experiment with music while operating within YouTube's licensing and rights framework. The letter emphasized the importance of protecting artists and respecting copyright as these tools roll out. But how rights holders will be compensated and when those tools will become widely available was not disclosed. Beyond music, Mohan reiterated YouTube's broader focus on helping creators build sustainable businesses on the platform. He said YouTube has paid creators, artists and media partners more than $100 billion over the past four years.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan's Big Ideas for 2026: More Superstar Creators and Transparency, Less AI Slop

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan wants to make 2026 a year in which more creators build big, sustainable businesses ... and a year in which artificial intelligence enables them to do it faster. But in his annual letter to the YouTube community, which was published Wednesday morning, he also committed to fight AI "slop" and strengthening safeguards for kids and teens, underscoring the delicate balance that the world's dominant video platform has to pursue as it seeks to grow even bigger. Mohan framed this year as a pivotal one: "As we enter 2026, the lines between creativity and technology are blurring, sparking a new era of innovation. This inflection point requires ambitious bets," he wrote. Perhaps most importantly, Mohan is focused on pushing back against "AI slop," while also opening the door to new types of content that the tech could enable, noting that "over the past 20 years, we've learned not to impose any preconceived notions on the creator ecosystem. Today, once-odd trends like ASMR and watching other people play video games are mainstream hits." "The rise of AI has raised concerns about low-quality content, aka '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," Mohan writes. "But with this openness comes a responsibility to maintain the high quality viewing experience that people want. 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." The executive noted that many creators are now building whole studios, underscoring how the creative dynamic has changed. "The era of dismissing this content as simply 'UGC' is long over," he wrote. "These are shows, built by creators who green-light themselves." And he reiterated his call for creators to receive more recognition from organizations like the Emmys. He teased big changes coming to YouTube Shorts, including adding different formats like still images to enable more social conversation with creators, and once again highlighted all the products that are meant to grow monetization, like tools for brand deals that will let creators swap in or out brand integrations for library content. And Mohan highlighted YouTube's enhanced parental controls for kids and teens, which are meant to give parents more control over what their kids are watching. And then there's AI. Mohan has leaned into AI tools over the last few years, including Dreamscreen (which lets users create a video background for shorts) and other experimental tech. In his letter Mohan highlighted "four areas we must get right in 2026" as the technology continues to proliferate. For creativity, Mohan teased tools that will let users use AI to create Shorts featuring their likeness, and to experiment with music: "Just as the synthesizer, Photoshop and CGI revolutionized sound and visuals, AI will be a boon to the creatives who are ready to lean in," he wrote. And he says that AI will "transform the viewer experience" through features like autodubbing. But with the promise of new tools comes new challenges, and Mohan doesn't shy away from them, as with his comments about AI slop. "It's becoming harder to detect what's real and what's AI-generated. This is particularly critical when it comes to deepfakes," he writes. So YouTube intends to double down on transparency and protections with AI labels, and told meant to allow creators to protect their likenesses.

YouTube Introduces AI Digital Twins to Help Creators Make Shorts

YouTube's New AI Digital Twins Could Change How Creators Make Shorts YouTube has officially launched YouTube AI Digital Twins, a new tool made to help creators expand their presence on Shorts. This advanced technology lets creators create high-quality AI clones, enabling them to produce videos without physical cameras or professional studio setups for online content creation at scale. By using Google DeepMind's latest models, the platform is changing how digital identities work. These smart neural networks analyze facial details and vocal tones, helping creators accurately replicate their personalities and pushing the limits of human presence in digital spaces.

YouTube CEO: Reducing AI slop videos, enhancing kids and teen content key focus in 2026

New update lets parents disable YouTube Shorts feed for kids As YouTube enters its third decade of operation, the platform is facing a unique crisis of abundance. With generative AI tools making video creation easier than ever, the floodgates have opened - not just for high-quality creativity, but for a deluge of low-effort, synthetic content often referred to by internet users as "AI slop." In his annual letter outlining the company's priorities for 2026, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan directly addressed this challenge, signaling a major strategic pivot. While the platform has historically prioritized engagement and openness, the roadmap for 2026 suggests a new era focused on quality control, transparency, and stricter safeguards for younger audiences. Also read: xAI's turbulent week: Open source code, a 120M euro fine, and global Grok bans The battle against 'AI slop' For the first time, YouTube's leadership has explicitly acknowledged the threat posed by mass-produced AI content to the user experience. While Mohan reiterated that YouTube remains an open platform that does not wish to impose "preconceived notions" on what constitutes art, he drew a firm line at quality. "The rise of AI has raised concerns about low-quality content," Mohan wrote, referencing the "AI slop" phenomenon where feeds become clogged with repetitive, synthetic videos designed solely to game algorithms. To combat this, YouTube plans to retool the systems it has successfully used for years to fight spam and clickbait. The goal is to train recommendation algorithms to identify and downrank low-effort AI generation, ensuring that the "human premium" remains visible. This is a critical move for the platform; if users feel their feed is dominated by machines talking to machines, trust in the platform erodes. Also read: Your next TV upgrade may cost more than expected: Here's why Beyond algorithmic filtering, YouTube is doubling down on transparency. The platform will strictly enforce labeling for synthetic media and has thrown its weight behind the NO FAKES Act, legislation designed to protect creators' likenesses from unauthorized deepfakes. A 'kill switch' for the doomscroll Perhaps the most tangible update for families is a fundamental rethink of how children interact with YouTube Shorts. The short-form video feed has been criticized for its addictive design, particularly for developing brains. Responding to these concerns, YouTube is introducing a "zero-timer" feature for parental controls. This effectively acts as a kill switch for the infinite scroll. Parents will soon have the ability to set the daily time limit for Shorts specifically to zero, effectively blocking that specific feed while still allowing children to access standard long-form videos or educational content. Mohan framed this as a philosophy of empowerment: "This is all in service of empowering parents to protect their kids in the digital world, not from the digital world." The company is also addressing the "living room" problem, where a child might accidentally access an unrestricted account on a shared family TV. New updates will make it easier to set up child-specific profiles and switch between them seamlessly on TV apps, ensuring age-appropriate recommendations are locked to the correct viewer. Creators as the new studios While safety and quality constitute the defensive side of the 2026 roadmap, the offensive strategy focuses on elevating top-tier creators. Mohan argued that the distinction between "YouTubers" and traditional "studios" has largely evaporated. "YouTubers are buying studio-sized lots in Hollywood and beyond to pioneer new formats," Mohan noted. To support this "new prime time," YouTube is rolling out frictionless shopping features that allow viewers to purchase products without leaving the video player. Additionally, new "backend" tools will allow creators to swap out links in their old videos, meaning a viral video from three years ago can be updated with a fresh, active brand deal, turning back catalogs into recurring revenue. The 2026 letter marks a mature turn for YouTube. For years, the metric for success was pure scale - more hours watched, more uploads per minute. By targeting "AI slop" and handing parents the keys to disable its most addictive features, YouTube is acknowledging that in an AI-saturated world, the platform's value isn't just in having everything, it's in helping users find the right thing, safe from the digital noise.