YouTube Shorts now lets creators clone themselves with AI avatars for up to 8-second videos

You Can Now Clone Yourself on YouTube With an AI Avatar Tool

If you're a YouTube creator, you can now create a digital twin with YouTube's new avatar clone tool. It uses your likeness to create an avatar that can be featured in YouTube Shorts without you ever setting foot in front of the camera again. "Avatars create a digital version of yourself so you can generate videos that look and sound like you, safely and securely," Google writes in a post. It's unclear what safeguards, if any, the app has in place to protect your likeness when using the feature. A Google representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "Only you can use your avatar to create original videos, you can delete it at any time, and all output is labeled as AI," the post says. If you delete the avatar, your selfie video and voice recording data for that avatar is permanently removed from YouTube. The Shorts that use the avatar will be labeled as AI-generated content, according to the company. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan previously stated that "AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement" within YouTube. As with all social media apps, YouTube has struggled to rein in AI-generated content. However, that doesn't seem to be deterring the company from adding more AI tools to the platform.

Google makes it easy to deepfake yourself

YouTube Shorts is rolling out a new AI-powered feature giving creators an easy way to realistically clone themselves on camera. The launch, hinted at earlier this year, reflects the platform's fraught relationship with AI-generated content, adding more generative features while struggling to contain AI slop, deepfake scams, and impersonations. YouTube says the new tool will let users create a digital version of themselves, called an avatar, that can be inserted into existing Shorts videos or used to generate entirely new ones. The company said avatars will "look and sound like you," framing them as a safer and more secure way to use AI to create new content. Creating an avatar is a bit more involved than simply pressing a button, but it sounds fairly straightforward. In a blog post outlining the process, YouTube said users must first record a "live selfie" capturing their face and voice while following a series of prompts. For the best results, the company recommends good lighting, a quiet area, a background free of other people or images of faces, and holding the phone at eye level. Once avatars are made, users can select "make a video with my avatar" while creating a video to generate a clip from prompts, which can be up to eight seconds long, according to 9to5google. Users can also add their avatar to "eligible Shorts" in their feed, though YouTube did not specify what makes a Short eligible. The AI avatar feature comes with fairly tight restrictions. They can only be used in the creator's own original videos, who also control whether their Shorts can be remixed. The creator can delete their avatar or videos where it appears at any time, YouTube says. Avatars that aren't used to create new content for three years will be automatically deleted. All avatar videos will also be clearly flagged as AI-generated, YouTube says. This includes visible watermarking and digital labels like SynthID and C2PA, the latter a broadly supported but questionably useful authentication marker used to identify AI-generated content. Not everyone will be able to use the feature immediately. YouTube says the tool "will be rolling out gradually," though it did not give a timeline or indication of where it will be available first. Creators must also be at least 18 and own an existing YouTube channel, the company says. The avatar feature adds to YouTube's expanding suite of AI tools for creators, including AI-generated video clips on Shorts, AI auto-dubbing, and a channel analytics chatbot. Many of them are powered by Google's Gemini AI models, which already allow users to transform photos into video, make music, and create realistic images from scratch. Its arrival comes as one of Google's main AI rivals, OpenAI, pulls back from video generation. The startup said it was sunsetting its Sora video tool last month after a year of struggling to get the wannabe social platform off the ground. It was costly and faced a parade of copyright challenges, deepfake controversies, and slop that made it an unattractive bet for investors ahead of an anticipated IPO this year.

YouTube Shorts Now Lets You Create Your Own Deepfake Videos

(Credit: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) YouTube Shorts now lets you create videos using an AI avatar that looks and sounds like you. As 9to5Google reports, the "Make a video with my avatar" feature was teased earlier this year and is now rolling out to users via the YouTube and YouTube Create apps. YouTube creates a sample avatar by capturing your face from multiple angles along with your voice. Once ready, the avatar can be paired with a description to generate a deepfake video on your chosen topic. Your lips, facial expressions, and hand gestures will move based on the video's content. The video could be fun, serious, or anything in between. I tried the feature, and the output closely matched my real-life appearance and voice. To get started, you need to own a YouTube channel and be 18 or older. Then sign in to the YouTube app on your phone, tap Create (+), and slide to Short. Tap the Gemini-like star icon on the top right to enter the AI playground and select Create video > Make a video with my avatar. You'll then have to provide a live video selfie. In it, you'll be instructed to move your head to the left and to the right and speak a few numbers that appear on the screen. This stage captures your facial features and your voice. This took a while for me as YouTube repeatedly asked me to move to a quieter place. (I live in a quiet neighborhood, but there were a few birds chirping in the background.) Once YouTube processes your data, it will present you with your AI avatar. Take a look at it, and tap Retake if unsatisfied. If it looks accurate, proceed to the prompt stage. In the "Describe your idea" field, provide a detailed prompt specifying what you want the avatar to say or do in the video. Wait for YouTube to generate the deepfake video. You can then download the video or upload it to Shorts. You can create more videos with the same avatar by tapping Create (+) > Shorts > Gemini spark icon > Create Video > Make a video with my avatar. Here's how the avatar worked out for me. You can also add your avatar to eligible Shorts that appear on your feed. Go to Remix > Reimagine > Add me to this scene. "Only you can use your avatar to create original videos, you can delete it at any time, and all output is labeled as AI," Google says on a support page. However, deleting the avatar won't delete the previous videos you created with it. You'll have to do that manually. Google will also automatically delete any avatar that hasn't been used for 3 years. According to 9to5Google, the feature is available for mobile users outside Europe at launch, with full availability expected in the coming days.

Google introduces AI-generated avatars to YouTube Shorts

A new feature that lets you create an AI avatar with your likeness is now live on YouTube. First in a blog post earlier this year, avatars are designed to be used in Shorts (provided you still them to show up), allowing you to insert yourself into video content in a way that YouTube deems to be safe and secure. YouTube's approach to combatting the AI sloppification of the internet and the proliferation of appears to be adding more and more AI features to its platform, framing this latest addition as a tool that gives creators more control of their digital identities. Any video generated using an avatar will feature YouTube's AI disclosure and include visible watermarks and labels like SynthID and C2PA. YouTube has published a pretty in-depth on how to create and use an avatar in either the YouTube or YouTube Create app, but here's a brief summary of how to do it using the former. Once you've opened AI Playground, you'll be taking a "live selfie" that also records your voice. You can then preview your photorealistic virtual self and either proceed with it or redo the process if you're unhappy with anything. Creating an avatar in the YouTube Create app is broadly similar, but you have to navigate to the My Avatar homepage first. YouTube recommends that you hold your phone at eye level and keep yourself centered as much as possible. Lighting is also important, as is ensuring your whole face is visible, you're in a quiet area, and there's nobody else in the background. You also have to be the account owner to create an avatar, and over the age of 18. Once you have an avatar you like, you simply type in a prompt and wait for the AI to generate a video, which according to can be up to eight seconds long. Alternatively, YouTube will also let you add an avatar to existing "eligible" Shorts by tapping "Remix" and then "Reimagine" with your avatar selected. Avatars can be deleted or retaken whenever you like, as can any video with your avatar in it. You can also limit who's able to remix your videos, but deleting a video with your avatar in it won't also delete the original video, or that avatar from your account. YouTube will automatically delete any avatar that hasn't been used to create new video content for three years. The new avatar feature will roll out gradually, and is the latest in a long line of AI-centric tools and updates YouTube has added to the platform in the last year, including for low-res videos, for creators and an for search results.

Creators can now use AI versions of themselves to make YouTube Shorts

Timi is the news and deals reporter for Android Police, who has been reporting on technology since 2008. He has worked in tech retail and also the IT space, providing hardware and software support, which gives him a unique perspective on the tech that he covers. This allows him to effectively break down complex subjects into easy-to-read pieces that even casual readers can enjoy. Before joining Android Police, he was a news writer for XDA, where he eventually transitioned to covering deals. He also worked as an editor and reporter for Neowin, where he covered news and attended major tech events like CES. He also reviewed phones, tablets, PC products, and other devices. In addition, he also created video content for the Neowin YouTube channel. We've seen Google invest heavily in AI over the past few years, and it's probably one of the more interesting companies to look at in terms of its products and services because it just has so many when compared to the competition. While some of the additions can be extremely useful, like finding ways to filter the high-quality content you actually want to watch on YouTube, others, like its new AI avatars for Shorts, can leave users a bit more divided (via 9to5Google). Related I tried YouTube's auto-dubbing feature, and it was so surreal I thought I imagined it Voices from beyond are a distracting, dystopian liberty Posts 1 By Andy Boxall It's unclear where this will lead Creators will now be able to generate an AI version of themselves for use in Shorts. YouTube states that this avatar can be used to "generate videos that look and sound like you, safely and securely." In a world where it's becoming harder to tell what's real and what isn't, this is going to be a big move for YouTube. In order to take advantage of this, users will need to be over the age of 18 and have a YouTube channel. With those requirements satisfied, creators can head into the YouTube or YouTube Create app to start the process of creating their AI avatar. YouTube shares that using "a secure "live selfie" capture process, you'll record your face and voice to create your avatar." Once that's complete, you can use the avatar without having to do that process again. From there, use a prompt to generate a scene, and you'll be good to go. You can even use this avatar and add it to an existing Short. While this is new to YouTube, we've seen examples of this popping up with third-party tools. Subscribe to the newsletter for practical YouTube AI insights Get the newsletter for in-depth coverage of YouTube's AI avatars, practical creator how-tos, and privacy-setting walkthroughs. Clear explanations of avatar creation, remix controls, and reporting on related platform AI features help you understand and manage these tools. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. So, it was only natural for it to become available directly. You can always give this a try, and if you're not really feeling any of this, you can have YouTube delete avatar videos and the avatar data. There's even a setting to limit who can use your avatar in YouTube remixes. It's unclear whether this feature will also be made available for long-form videos.

YouTube Shorts will use AI to make avatars that look and sound like you

YouTube is now letting users create an AI avatar that looks and sounds like them for use in Shorts. This feature was teased earlier this year. The creation process is available in the main YouTube app and YouTube Create. It involves capturing a "live selfie" by recording your face and voice (by reading a few prompts). This will give you a photorealistic avatar that can be placed in your YouTube Shorts. Each prompt-based generation can be up to 8 seconds long, though you can create multiple clips back-to-back. You only have to do the setup process once, but can retake at any time to update your appearance. Prompt and output The feature is a continuation of Google Veo models in YouTube Shorts. Something similar has been possible with the ingredients-to-video capability, which involves uploading a picture, since last year. However, the voice aspect is entirely new. YouTube tells 9to5Google that "the avatar feature gives users an easier way to include themselves safely and securely in videos." On the safety front, the selfie video and voice will only be used for avatar creation, and no one else can use the avatar to create original Shorts. You can delete your avatar at any time (with YouTube automatically deleting after 3 years of no use), but keep in mind that existing videos with your avatar will remain until the actual clip is deleted. All avatar videos will feature watermarks and digital labels, like SynthID and C2PA, as well as disclosures about AI-generated content. Once rolled out to you, open the Create '+' in the YouTube app and tap the Gemini spark in the corner. Select "Create video" in the top-left and look for "Make a video with my avatar" to enter your prompt. It's also available in the Remix menu > Reimagine > Add me to this scene. This feature is rolling out starting today globally (outside of Europe) for users 18+, with full availability in the coming days. You must be the owner of an existing YouTube channel to create an avatar.

YouTube Shorts Now Lets Creators Clone Themselves in Videos

YouTube Shorts is rolling out a feature that lets users create AI avatars that look and sound just like them for use in their videos. The company says the tool allows users to create a digital version of themselves, known as an avatar, that can be added to existing Shorts or used to generate new ones. "An avatar builds on existing ingredients-to-video features in YouTube's creation tools, making it easier and more accurate to add yourself into your videos," YouTube writes in a blog post. "Avatars create a digital version of yourself so you can generate videos that look and sound like you, safely and securely." According to a report by 9to5Google, the feature is available through the main YouTube app and YouTube Create. To generate an avatar, users must first record a "live selfie," capturing their face and voice from multiple angles while following on-screen prompts. YouTube recommends recording in good lighting, in a quiet environment, with no other faces in the background, and holding the phone at eye level. Once created, the avatar can be paired with a text description to generate a video. The system animates lip movements, facial expressions, and hand gestures based on the content. Users can select a "make a video with my avatar" option to generate clips from prompts, each up to eight seconds long, according to 9to5Google. But users can create multiple clips back-to-back. Avatars can also be added to certain "eligible Shorts," although YouTube has not defined what qualifies as eligible. The setup process only needs to be completed once, though users can update their avatar at any time by repeating it. YouTube tells 9to5Google that "the avatar feature gives users an easier way to include themselves safely and securely in videos." The company says the selfie video and voice data are used only for avatar creation, and others cannot use the avatar to produce original Shorts. Users can also delete their avatar at any time, and YouTube will automatically remove it after three years of inactivity. Existing videos containing the avatar will remain on the platform unless deleted separately. YouTube says the feature "will be rolling out gradually." To access the tool, users must be at least 18 years old and have an existing YouTube channel. All videos created with avatars will include watermarks, digital labels such as SynthID and C2PA, and disclosures indicating that the content is AI-generated. The launch comes as one of Google's main AI competitors OpenAI recently scaled back its video generation efforts. Last month, OpenAI shut down its AI video-generation app Sora less than two years after its unveiling made headlines for creating realistic clips based on simple prompts.

YouTube Now Lets You Create Your Own AI Deepfakes - Decrypt

The launch comes as AI video tools spread across the tech industry. Google is rolling out a new AI feature for YouTube Shorts that lets content creators generate short videos using a digital avatar of themselves. Called "Make a video with my avatar," the tool is rolling out through the YouTube app and YouTube Create. The feature began rolling out on Wednesday and will be available to most users in the coming days. It is powered by Google's Veo 3.1 video model and is currently available only in Shorts and the YouTube Create app. "The avatar feature gives users an easier way to include themselves safely and securely in videos, building on our existing creative tools," a YouTube spokesperson told Decrypt. Each prompt-based clip can run up to about eight seconds, though users can combine clips to produce longer videos. The feature is available to users who own a YouTube channel and are at least 18 years old. At launch, it is rolling out to mobile users globally outside of Europe, with broader availability expected in the coming days. Only the account holder can use their avatar to generate videos, which can be deleted at any time, though previously created videos remain online unless manually removed. The clips will also include AI disclosures and digital watermarks to indicate that the content was generated using artificial intelligence. The news comes as generative video tools are spreading across the tech industry, with companies, including Synthesia, ElevenLabs, and HeyGen, offering platforms that create videos using AI presenters. The rise of realistic AI videos has also raised concerns about deepfakes, prompting companies to add labels and watermarks to indicate when content is AI-generated. However, bringing realistic video AI generation to the masses comes with a hefty cost. In March, OpenAI shut down its Sora video app after only six months. While the company said it was refining its focus on developing AGI, Sora reportedly cost the company $15 million per day to run. The rollout fits into YouTube's broader push to expand AI tools for creators. In a January letter outlining the platform's priorities for 2026, CEO Neal Mohan said the company plans to expand AI-powered creation tools, including features that allow creators to produce Shorts using their own likeness. "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 launches AI avatars for Shorts creators that look and sound like you

At a time when the internet is pushing back against AI slop flooding feeds and creeping into game development, YouTube is doubling down on AI features. This time, it is bringing a tool that lets creators build photorealistic AI avatars of themselves for use in Shorts. YouTube is framing the tool as a way to give creators more control over their digital identity and make content creation more flexible. Instead of repeatedly filming themselves, creators can rely on an avatar built using their own face and voice to do the heavy lifting. Setting up an avatar is a one-time process that can be done through either the YouTube or YouTube Create app. Users capture a live selfie that also records their voice, with the system prompting them to read specific phrases to capture facial expressions and speech patterns. Once done, the system generates a realistic digital version of the user ready for use in short video clips. From there, creating content is straightforward. Type in a prompt, wait for the AI to generate a clip of up to eight seconds, and stitch multiple clips together to produce a complete Short. YouTube also lets you add your avatar to eligible existing Shorts by tapping "Remix," then "Reimagine" with your avatar selected. Users have full control over their avatars, including the ability to delete them at any time. Any video featuring your avatar can also be deleted, and you can limit who can remix your content. However, one caveat is that deleting a video that includes your avatar will not delete the original video or remove the avatar from your account. YouTube will automatically delete any avatar that has not been used to generate new content for three years. For transparency, any video generated using an avatar will carry YouTube's AI disclosure label, along with visible watermarks including SynthID and C2PA metadata. The rollout has begun globally for users aged 18 and above, with Europe currently excluded. Wider availability is expected in the coming days.

YouTube lets users make photorealistic AI avatars for Shorts

YouTube has launched a feature that allows users to create an AI avatar that resembles them for use in Shorts. The new functionality, teased earlier this year, is now available through the main YouTube app and YouTube Create. The avatar creation process involves users capturing a "live selfie" by recording their face and voice while reading several prompts. This results in a photorealistic avatar that can be used in YouTube Shorts, with each prompt resulting in an avatar generation lasting up to 8 seconds. Users can create multiple clips consecutively, with the initial setup needed only once. This avatar feature builds on the existing Google Veo models integrated into YouTube Shorts. While a similar function for ingredient-to-video creation, which allows users to upload pictures, has been available since last year, the voice component is new to this feature. YouTube stated that "the avatar feature gives users an easier way to include themselves safely and securely in videos." The company emphasized that the selfie video and voice data will only be utilized for avatar creation, ensuring that no one else can use the avatar for original Shorts. Users can delete their avatar at any time, and YouTube will automatically remove inactive avatars after three years. All videos featuring avatars will include watermarks and digital labels, such as SynthID and C2PA, along with disclosures indicating that the content is AI-generated. To access the feature, users can navigate to the Create '+' section within the YouTube app and select "Create video" with their avatar. The feature is also available in the Remix menu under options like Reimagine. The rollout of this feature began today globally, excluding Europe, and is available to users aged 18 and older, with full availability anticipated in the coming days. Users must have a pre-existing YouTube channel to create an avatar.

YouTube's AI avatar push could make fake videos even harder to spot

Outside of the office, Josh can be found digging into the latest video games, fantasy books, or tinkering with the newest features in Windows. YouTube has steadily been baking more and more AI into its foundation. Not only has Google made it possible to converse with Gemini about YouTube videos, but we've also seen reports of YouTube using AI to "improve" user videos without their general consent. But now, YouTube appears to be taking a page out of Sora's book and making it possible to create an AI avatar of yourself, which you can then throw into videos to make yourself part of the scene. Related I finally figured out how to hide YouTube Shorts (and get them back) YouTube doesn't make it easy to eliminate Shorts from your feed, but there are ways. Posts By Dan Selcke Put your face in YouTube Shorts without actually being there AI picks up a you-shaped mask It hasn't been that long since we waved goodbye to Sora, OpenAI's AI video app which allowed you to throw your face and voice into videos with easy prompts. While there's still a bit of debate around why OpenAI gutted Sora, the fact is, the death of Sora left a massive vacuum in the AI video space, and now it looks like Google hopes to fill it using YouTube Shorts. The idea is to allow YouTube creators to record a live video selfie of themselves speaking and looking at the camera, according to a YouTube help page. This video is then used to create an AI avatar of the person, which can then be added into different videos and scenarios using a prompt to the AI. It's literally exactly what Sora used to do, but this time powered by Google's Veo video models. The feature as already started rolling out to YouTubers outside of Europe that are 18+, and you can check if its available in the main YouTube app or YouTube Create. To get started, find the Remix menu, then select Reimagine > Add me to this scene, or select the Create Video option and choose Make a video with my avatar. Videos will come with built-in AI watermarksBut it is an imperfect solution for calling out AI Like many of Google's AI products, the new Shorts AI avatar system will provide videos that utilize it with a visible watermark as well as digital labels like C2PA and SynthID. While technically great at helping to identify AI videos, the physical watermarks added to videos are never going to be a great mark for accuracy in the social media world, where it's just as easy to go in and crop out the watermark or remove it through editing. This is, of course, where the digital labels come into play. But the problem with SynthID and C2PA is they require people to go out of their way to confirm if something is AI or not, and that's not likely something people are going to be willing to do all that often, especially when they're just scrolling through YouTube Shorts on their break at work. Considering how much of a problem deepfakes on YouTube have become, I can't imagine this is going to minimize that issue in any way. If you are interested in trying it out for yourself, though, it should hit your YouTube sometime within the next few days to weeks.

YouTube Is Releasing an AI Tool That Lets You Deepfake Yourself

Even YouTube Shorts is jumping into the AI trend. A new feature is coming to the platform that will allow users to create an AI Avatar of themselves and deepfake themselves into videos. Back in January, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan wrote in a blog post that more AI systems and models would be added to the platform. The latest feature lets users create an AI avatar that looks and sounds like them that can be placed into a YouTube Short. The photorealistic avatar will be prompt-based for an 8-second-long generation, but users will be able to create multiple clips back-to-back. The new feature follows a continuation of Google Veo models in YouTube Shorts, which created cinematic video clips from text, image, or video prompts through AI. The new YouTube feature can bring concerns of deepfakes now that likeness is being involved; an issue Mohan stated will be monitored. "We're also building on the foundation of Content ID - a system our partners have trusted for well over a decade - to equip creators with new tools to manage the use of their likeness in AI-generated content."

Your YouTube Shorts can now star an AI version of you - Phandroid

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan teased it back in January. He said creators would be able to "create a Short using your own likeness" sometime this year. That time is now. YouTube has started rolling out the YouTube Shorts AI avatar feature globally, letting users generate a photorealistic digital version of themselves for AI-generated Shorts. No filming required. The setup process runs through the main YouTube app or YouTube Create. You record a live selfie of your face and read a few prompts to capture your voice. YouTube uses that to build an avatar that looks and sounds like you. Each AI-generated clip can run up to eight seconds. You can chain multiple clips together to build longer sequences. The setup only needs to happen once, but you can redo it anytime. To find the YouTube Shorts AI avatar feature, open the Create button and tap the Gemini spark. Select "Create video" in the top left and look for "Make a video with my avatar." It's also in the Remix menu under Reimagine. YouTube built a few guardrails around this. Your selfie video and voice data are only used for your own avatar. Nobody else can use your likeness to create Shorts. You can delete your avatar at any time. YouTube will also automatically delete it after three years of inactivity, though existing videos featuring the avatar stick around until you delete the individual clips. All YouTube Shorts AI avatar content gets watermarked with SynthID and C2PA labels, plus visible AI-generated content disclosures. We previously covered when YouTube first laid out its AI plans for creators, Veo-powered video tools have been central to YouTube's content creation push. The feature is rolling out now for users 18 and older, globally outside of Europe. Full availability should follow within days.

YouTube AI Shorts Avatars Raise Deepfake Concerns

Creators record a short selfie video capturing their face from multiple angles while reading prompted lines aloud. YouTube uses this footage to build a photorealistic avatar powered by Google's Veo AI models. Each AI-generated clip can run up to eight seconds, and creators can stitch multiple clips together to create longer sequences. Creators can also insert avatars into existing Shorts via the Remix menu. YouTube is pitching this as a productivity tool: creators who cannot film on a given day can let their avatar handle content instead. YouTube attaches SynthID and Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) labels to all avatar content to identify it as AI-generated. Creators can limit or remove remixes of their avatar content. YouTube automatically deletes avatars after three years of inactivity, though deleting an avatar does not remove already published videos. YouTube has not clarified what happens to the facial and voice data it collects to build avatars, or how the platform prevents misuse if an account is compromised. India's deepfake rules cover this, but only partially: India's IT Amendment Rules 2026 require intermediaries to deploy "reasonable technical measures to prevent avatar-generated content that falsely depicts a natural person by misrepresenting their identity, voice, conduct, or statement in a manner likely to deceive or constitutes non-consensual intimate imagery," SFLC.in told MediaNama. YouTube partially satisfies this requirement since only the account owner can create an avatar, and creation requires content that the user shoots and records live on the platform. However, the rules are harm-based and deception-focused, rather than grounded in consent. "Even where a person's likeness or voice is used beyond the scope of their consent, the legal trigger under the Rules may not activate unless the content is also misleading or otherwise unlawful," SFLC.in said. As MediaNama reported in March, there is no clear evidence that YouTube has fully implemented the SGI labelling and verification systems required under the IT Amendment Rules 2026, which came into force on February 20. MediaNama has asked platforms, including Google whether they have implemented SGI labelling as mandated under the rules. Google has not responded. Disclosure labels carry legal weight under Indian law: The IT Amendment Rules 2026 require platforms to prominently label synthetically generated content and embed that label as permanent metadata. Platforms "shall also not enable the modification, suppression, or removal of the label or permanent metadata, including the unique identifier, displayed or embedded." Platforms that fail to comply lose safe harbour protection under Section 79 of the IT Act, SFLC.in told MediaNama. If an account is hacked, YouTube may not be liable. Primary liability for misuse of a hacked account falls on the malicious actor under the IT Act. However, if a compromised account produces unlawful content, such as CSAM or non-consensual intimate imagery, YouTube will need to prove that it deployed "reasonable and appropriate technical measures (such as adequate content moderation) to prevent harm" in order to claim safe harbour protection, SFLC.in said. Non-celebrities have limited recourse on personality rights: India has no codified personality rights law. As MediaNama has reported, the Bombay High Court in March 2026 granted interim relief to Shilpa Shetty in a case that raised whether an AI platform generating a celebrity's personality on demand without consent can claim safe harbour under Indian law. But legal precedent is currently "limited to celebrities," SFLC.in said. Non-celebrities would need to approach courts to prove misuse and seek remedies. The broader contradiction: YouTube's rationale is that offering this feature in-platform with guardrails is safer than creators turning to unregulated third-party deepfake tools. However, the platform removed 16 AI-generated channels totalling 4.7 billion views in January 2026 for gaming its recommendation algorithm. The only meaningful difference between a faceless AI channel and a creator avatar is who controls it. Meta already allows creators to build AI extensions of themselves through Meta AI Studio across Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. For Indian regulators still tracking platform compliance with the IT Amendment Rules 2026, YouTube's avatar tool widens the gap between what the rules anticipated and what platforms are now deploying.