OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
11:44 AM – Tuesday, November 14, 2023
YouTube has created new rules for artificial intelligence (AI) content, including a standard that mandates creators to disclose whether they have used generative AI to make realistic looking videos.
On Tuesday, YouTube announced several AI-related policy updates in a blog post.
In the post, YouTube stated that creators who fail to reveal whether they have utilized AI tools to produce “altered or synthetic” videos will be given penalties, including having their videos withdrawn or their account suspended from YouTube’s revenue sharing program.
“Generative AI has the potential to unlock creativity on YouTube and transform the experience for viewers and creators on our platform,” Jennifer Flannery O’Connor and Emily Moxley, vice presidents for product management, said in the blog post. “But just as important, these opportunities must be balanced with our responsibility to protect the YouTube community.”
The platform will begin to force creators to label AI-produced content by next year, and the platform will inform users when they are viewing content that was created using AI tools.
The new rules will be mandated only on AI-produced or synthetic content that looks “realistic.” That includes, for instance, videos that “realistically depict an event that never happened, or content showing someone saying or doing something they didn’t actually do,” according to O’Connor and Moxley.
“This is especially important in cases where the content discusses sensitive topics, such as elections, ongoing conflicts and public health crises, or public officials,” O’Connor and Moxley added.
Additionally, YouTube will permit users to request for the removal of video that “simulates an identifiable individual, including their face or voice.”
“Not all content will be removed from YouTube, and we’ll consider a variety of factors when evaluating these requests,” the company said in the blog post. “This could include whether the content is parody or satire, whether the person making the request can be uniquely identified, or whether it features a public official or well-known individual, in which case there may be a higher bar.”
Digital information integrity officials have shown concern that the increase of generative AI tools could produce a boom in misleading content being posted to social media and across the web.
YouTube announced that creators who fail to follow the new requirements will be held accountable.
The platform also highlighted that synthetic or AI-generated content that breaches its community guidelines will be subject to the same restrictions as other disallowed content. When determining whether to agree with a user’s removal request, YouTube says it will take into account “a variety of factors,” such as whether the content is satirical or depicts a public person.
YouTube’s music partners, such as record labels or distributors, will also have the ability to ask for the removal of AI-generated music that imitates particular artists’ voices. Partners will be able to request the elimination of AI-generated music content “that mimics an artist’s unique singing or rapping voice.”
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