On Wednesday, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced a number of new artificial intelligence (AI) features coming to the platform. Generative AI on YouTube. Speaking at an event in Google’s Manhattan office, Mohan revealed that these AI-powered solutions will be released throughout the year. These capabilities, he claimed, will give “billions of people around the world access to AI” while upholding YouTube’s “commitment to responsibility.” One of the features will allow the creation of six-second AI-generated video clips that can be added to YouTube Shorts. This functionality is powered by Google’s DeepMind AI technology, enhancing the platform’s short-form video hub, which was launched after TikTok’s rise to success.
Generative AI on YouTube has raised concerns in the past, particularly around the spread of disinformation. Reports from NBC News highlighted how AI was used to produce misleading videos about celebrities, creating deceptive thumbnails and fake news stories. While YouTube removed several of these channels after being alerted by NBC News, the misuse of AI has remained a concern.
When asked about potential misuse, Mohan emphasized that AI is central to YouTube’s functioning, including its content recommendation algorithm. He reassured attendees that the goal of AI integration is to enhance human creativity. “Everything we build is really about enhancing human creativity,” Mohan said.
YouTube also plans to introduce generative AI-powered tools like the “Inspiration” feature for creators. This feature will offer suggestions for video content ideas and even provide “AI-enhanced” recommendations on how to respond to comments.
Sarah Ali, YouTube’s senior product director, noted that these tools are designed to speed up the creative process rather than replace original ideas. “This is not about replacing ideas. This is about giving you the tools to get you there faster,” Ali said.
The announcement follows AI advancements by major tech companies, including Microsoft and Meta. Mohan pointed out that 92% of YouTube creators already use some form of AI tools.
A new video creation tool called “Veo” was introduced, allowing creators to use text prompts to generate AI images, which can be transformed into short video clips. Mohan demonstrated this feature with an AI-generated video showing a dog and a sheep becoming friends. These AI-generated clips will be watermarked using SynthID, a tool from DeepMind that helps identify AI-generated content. The watermark will help clearly label AI-generated material, a move to address the issue of unmarked AI content that has become widespread on YouTube and the internet.
Vivien Lewit, YouTube’s global head of artists, introduced another AI feature called Dream Track, designed to generate instrumental tracks for Shorts. Additionally, a Music AI Sandbox will enable the creation of musical loops. YouTube’s “auto-dubbing” feature, which translates videos into other languages, will also see improvements. The dubs will soon have more natural-sounding audio through an “expressive speech” update, which will mimic the pitch and intonation of the original language.
The platform will also introduce a new “Hype” button, allowing users to recommend videos for a revamped trending page. Over the years, YouTube’s Trending page has evolved, and this button will add more user interaction in determining popular content.
YouTube continues to evolve by adapting its platform for more traditional TV consumption and awards recognition, allowing creators to categorize videos as “Seasons” or “Episodes.” The “Communities” feature will also be expanded, creating more interactive hubs for YouTubers and their fans.
Additionally, YouTube is giving creators more monetization opportunities. New features, such as livestream “gifts,” similar to TikTok Live and Twitch, will enable viewers to send small donations to support their favorite creators.
The newly introduced AI features build on past developments by YouTube, such as the 2023 release of “DreamScreen,” an AI-generated background tool for Shorts, marking YouTube’s ongoing efforts to innovate using AI.
