YouTube's Secret AI Video Enhancement Sparks Controversy Among Creators

YouTube secretly tested AI video enhancement without notifying creators

Is it a conspiracy? For months, YouTubers have been quietly griping that something looked off in their recent video uploads. Following a deeper analysis by a popular music channel, Google has now confirmed that it has been testing a feature that uses AI to artificially enhance videos. The company claims this is part of its effort to "provide the best video quality," but it's odd that it began doing so without notifying creators or offering any way to opt out of the experiment. Google's test raised eyebrows almost immediately after it began rolling out in YouTube Shorts earlier this year. Users reported strange artifacts, edge distortion, and distracting smoothness that gives the appearance of AI alteration. If you've ever zoomed in close after taking a photo with your smartphone only to notice things look oversharpened or like an oil painting, that's the effect of Google's video processing test. According to Rene Ritchie, YouTube's head of editorial, this isn't quite like the AI features Google has been cramming into every other product. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ritchie said the feature is not based on generative AI but instead uses "traditional machine learning" to reduce blur and noise while sharpening the image. Although, this is a distinction without a difference -- it's still AI of a sort being used to modify videos. YouTuber Rhett Shull began investigating what was happening to his videos after discussing the issue with a fellow creator. He quickly became convinced that YouTube was applying AI video processing without notifying anyone -- he calls this "upscaling," though Google's Ritchie contends this is not technically upscaling tech.

Intrusive Thought of the Day: Is That YouTube Video Enhanced With AI?

Have you noticed YouTube videos have started to have a little hint of the Uncanny Valley in recent months? You are far from alone, as a growing chorus of folks stuck in YouTube's endless scroll of Shorts have started piecing together similar qualities across videos that give viewers the heebie jeebies. That's probably not the intended response that YouTube was going for, but according to a report from The Atlantic, the effects are intentional and part of an ongoing experiment by YouTube to "enhance" videos. Here's what to look for to spot an "enhanced" video, according to users: "punchy shadows," "sharp edges," and a "plastic" look. According to the BBC, YouTubers have also pointed out these strange effects, which lead to more defined wrinkles appearing in clothing, skin looking unnaturally smooth, and occasional warping around the edges of a person's face. Some creators expressed concerns that the unnatural look could lead to viewers thinking they used AI in their video. All of this is appearing because YouTube is tweaking people's videos after the content is uploaded, and has been doing so seemingly without any forewarning that changes would be made and without the permission of the creator. And while YouTubers like Rhett Shull have suggested the effects are the result of AI upscaling, an attempt to "improve" video quality using AI tools, YouTube has a different explanation. "We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise and improve clarity in videos during processing (similar to what a modern smartphone does when you record a video)," Rene Ritchie, YouTube's head of editorial and creator liaison, said in a Twitter post. "YouTube is always working on ways to provide the best video quality and experience possible, and will continue to take creator and viewer feedback into consideration as we iterate and improve on these features." It's certainly an interesting decision to explicitly identify these techniques as "traditional machine learning technology" rather than AI. A spokesperson for Google made the message even clearer in a statement to The Atlantic, stating, "These enhancements are not done with generative AI.†It's not like YouTube has exactly been distancing itself from generative AI. The platform just launched a new suite of "generative effects" that it has encouraged creators to use. Other creators have shown that YouTube uses AI tools to generate "inspiration" and ideas for new videos for their channel. But perhaps it's the viscerally negative response that people have had when spotting these "enhanced" videos that has YouTube backing away from the AI-centric language. This experiment has apparently been going on for a couple months, if the eyes of viewers are to be trusted. The BBC tracked examples of complaints about the effects described by YouTube as "enhancements" dating back to June of this year. It's also led to some users taking a conspiratorial view of the experiment, suggesting the company is trying to desensitize audiences to AI-style effects and make them more palatable. On the positive side, that at least suggests people are generally rejecting slop. Ideally, YouTube won't keep dragging its creators down into the AI mud and will let their videos be. It's not like the platform is exactly short on content, after all.

YouTube has been running a secret AI experiment, and it's not sitting well with creators or their audiences

This overlooked YouTube trick completely changed how I watch videos Although AI is still in its infancy, we're already seeing some impressive tools coming out which have also caused quite a bit of concern as well. While tools from Google are always welcome, especially when they can help us to learn in new ways, the brand has also introduced some lackluster and problematic products as well. However, its latest move has struck quite a nerve, altering content on its platform. The news comes from BBC, reporting that YouTube has been using AI to alter the look of content on the platform. Now, this in itself would be quite surprising, but it goes even a step further with YouTube not even telling the original creators that the alterations were taking place, or even asking permission to get this done. YouTube might want to roll this change back For a brand that's very protective of its creators on its platform, this seems like a blatant overreach. While it's unclear just how many videos have had this type of alteration performed, the subject in the article, Rick Beato, who is known for in-depth videos on everything about music, shares the things that he noticed with the content on his own channel. Beato goes on to explain that he noticed that his hair looked 'strange' and in other instances it looked like he 'was wearing makeup' in some of his Shorts. The BBC goes on to explain that YouTube has been using AI in order to edit videos on the platform to enhance their appearances. Now, if this was done perfectly, there would still be complaints, but at least the results would be pleasing to the eye. But the problem is that most of these changes make it look like the video was generated using AI. You probably know what we're talking about here, when AI can't quite deal with all the intricacies that are in a photo or video, and decides to create its own twisted image of what it thinks things should look like. If you want to see the full breakdown of this 'AI magic' we suggest checking out this video by Rhett Shull. Shull does a deep dive into what he's found, showing that while the changes could be very minor in some cases, it's still being done without permission from the creator. There's also even been confirmation from YouTube via its Liason about what's going on, and it appears that YouTube is indeed running some kind of 'experiment' that uses 'traditional machine learning technology' to make videos appear clearer. If you check out the responses to the Liason post on X, you'll see that people simply aren't vibing with what's going on, calling for these types of alterations to stop. It's unclear how things will progress, but it might be a good idea for YouTube to make this type of change a choice or get rid of it altogether. Of course, by uploading to the platform, creators are bound by a set of rules that allows this type of thing to happen. We've seen plenty of missteps on this new and untravelled road. As mentioned before, AI is still in its infancy, and there's no telling how the world will look in just a couple of years because of how far and fast things are progressing. While there's no doubt that some of this can be used for good, there's always the chance that something bad will also come from it. Have you noticed anything strange with the YouTube Shorts you watch every day? If so, let us know in the comments.

YouTube is Secretly Editing Users' Videos Without Their Consent

YouTube has been quietly using AI to alter people's videos without telling them or asking for permission. According to a report by the BBC, YouTube has secretly used AI to edit people's videos in recent months. The changes are reportedly small and often hard to spot without a side-by-side comparison. Wrinkles in clothes appear sharper, skin can look smoother or more textured, and ears sometimes warp. Some creators say these edits give their work an artificial look they never intended. Several YouTubers noticed the differences and raised concerns online. In one video with over 600,000 views, content creator Rhett Shull showed that the same video looked different on YouTube compared with Instagram. He says the YouTube Shorts version appeared "smoothened" and had "an oil painting effect" on his face. "I did not consent to this," Shull says. "The most important thing I have as a YouTube creator is that you trust what I'm making, what I'm saying, and what I'm doing is truly me. Replacing or enhancing my work with some AI upscaling system not only erodes that trust with the audience, but it also erodes my trust in YouTube." Shull is not alone, according to the report. A Reddit post from June 27 entitled "YouTube Shorts are almost certainly being AI upscaled" shows screenshots of the same video at different resolutions to claim that details were being added or removed by AI. Other social media complaints by YouTube revealed how their videos were being automatically edited with AI. After months of speculation, YouTube has now confirmed that it is altering a limited number of videos on its Shorts platform. "We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise and improve clarity in videos during processing (similar to what a modern smartphone does when you record a video)," Rene Ritchie, YouTube's head of editorial and creator liaison, writes a post on X last week. "YouTube is always working on ways to provide the best video quality and experience possible, and will continue to take creator and viewer feedback into consideration as we iterate and improve on these features." YouTube did not respond to the BBC's questions on whether creators will have the option to disable the edits. However, the news outlet pointed out that altering videos without informing users could undermine trust in what people see online. It comes months after reports that Google is using its expansive library of YouTube videos to train its AI models like Gemini and Veo 3, shocking many content creators.

YouTube tests AI edits on Shorts without disclosure sparking creator backlash - SiliconANGLE

YouTube tests AI edits on Shorts without disclosure sparking creator backlash A new controversy has emerged around YouTube after creators discovered that the platform has been quietly altering some of their uploaded Shorts videos using artificial intelligence without disclosure, raising concerns about creative integrity and transparency. Reports first emerged earlier this month from a number of creators who claimed that their clips appeared sharper, smoother or unnaturally stylized compared to the originals. Some described the effect as "plastic" or "oil painting-like," with details that had been subtly changed by machine-driven processing. YouTube insists the updates rely on traditional machine learning tools for unblurring, denoising and clarity enhancements rather than generative AI, however, the results bear a striking resemblance to diffusion-style upscaling models that have become common in the broader industry. According to Rene Ritchie, YouTube's head of editorial, there was no generative AI or upscaling involved. "We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise and improve clarity in videos during processing (similar to what a modern smartphone does when you record a video)," Ritchie said on X Inc. (formerly Twitter). "YouTube is always working on ways to provide the best video quality and experience possible and will continue to take creator and viewer feedback into consideration as we iterate and improve on these features." Irrespective of the claimed intent, creators are not happy. In one case, a creator known as Mr. Bravo, who is known for using VHS-like grain in his productions, claims that the edits stripped away the aesthetic choices that define his work. Musicians Rhett Shull and Rick Beato have also reported similar issues with their videos. Among the critics against the move by YouTube, Dave Wiskus, chief executive officer of independent streaming platform Nebula Inc., says that the approach taken by YouTube is "disrespectful" and equates the edits to tampering with an artist's work without permission. Other creator communities on sites such as Reddit are generally in agreeance and are warning that AI-driven alterations could undermine authenticity and blur the line between original and machine-mediated media. YouTube's decision to edit existing videos, particularly without disclosure, raises valid questions around ownership, authenticity and disclosure.

YouTube is quietly using AI to change some videos without creator consent

TL;DR: YouTube has been secretly using AI to enhance select Shorts videos by unblurring, denoising, and improving clarity without creators' consent. This experiment aims to boost video quality but has raised trust concerns among creators who feel their original content is altered without permission. YouTube has secretly been using AI to edit people's videos over the last few months, with these changes being so small that users wouldn't notice unless the videos were placed side-by-side. The claims come from a new BBC report that cites several YouTubers who have noticed differences in their videos. One content creator, Rhett Schull, pointed to one video that looked different on YouTube Shorts compared to Instagram, with the creator saying the YouTube Shorts version looked "smoothened" with an "oil painting effect" over his face. Shull added that he "did not consent to this," adding, "The most important thing I have as a YouTube creator is that you trust what I'm making, what I'm saying, and what I'm doing is truly me. Replacing or enhancing my work with some AI upscaling system not only erodes that trust with the audience, but it also erodes my trust in YouTube." Shull isn't the only creator who has noticed some of their content being changed on YouTube, as a Reddit post from June 27 has pointed out the same thing. Now, YouTube has confirmed that it is changing some YouTube Shorts videos, with the platform describing the alteration as "running an experiment". "We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise and improve clarity in videos during processing (similar to what a modern smartphone does when you record a video). YouTube is always working on ways to provide the best video quality and experience possible, and will continue to take creator and viewer feedback into consideration as we iterate and improve on these features," wrote Rene Ritchie, YouTube's head of editorial and creator liaison in an X post

YouTubers Say AI Is Editing Their Shorts Without Consent

YouTube said it is improving video quality as part of an experiment YouTube might be using artificial intelligence (AI) to alter human-created Shorts videos, several content creators have claimed. YouTubers have complained that the AI-generated effects on their videos were being added without their express consent, and added that the streaming giant did not inform them about adding the said effect. YouTube has responded to the complaints and has acknowledged that certain Shorts were being edited using "traditional machine learning technology" as part of an ongoing experiment. However, the company maintained that no generative AI was used for this. YouTube's New Experiment Uses Machine Learning to Improve Shorts' Quality In a video (first spotted by BBC), YouTube content creator Rhett Shull showcased that his videos looked different when uploaded to YouTube compared to when uploaded on Instagram. Placing both videos side-by-side, he claimed that the one posted as Shorts appeared "smoothened," and as if "an oil painting effect was added to his face." Shull is not the only one with this experience. A Reddit post from June 27, titled "YouTube Shorts are almost certainly being AI upscaled," mentioned experiencing the same thing. The poster also shared screenshots of a video across different resolutions to claim that AI was being used to add and remove specific details. In both cases, users noted that the faces were being smoothened, hair made to look sleeker, and wrinkles on shirts being erased. Both users called the practice of altering elements in their videos deceptive and malicious, due to the streaming platform not communicating these changes. Rene Ritchie, YouTube's head of editorial and creator liaison, explained in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), "No GenAI, no upscaling. We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise, and improve clarity in videos during processing (similar to what a modern smartphone does when you record a video)." Despite the explanation, several users commenting on the post claimed that the company was being deceptive by using "machine learning" instead of AI. However, Ritchie responded, "GenAI typically refers to technologies like transformers and large language models, which are relatively new. Upscaling typically refers to taking one resolution (like SD/480p) and making it look good at a higher resolution (like HD/1080p). This isn't using GenAI or doing any upscaling." "I did not consent to this." Shull said in the YouTube video, adding, "The most important thing I have as a YouTube creator[..]is that you trust what I'm making, what I'm saying, and what I'm doing is truly me[..]Replacing or enhancing my work with some AI upscaling system not only erodes that trust with the audience, but it also erodes my trust in YouTube."