YouTube has unveiled a new initiative that will allow creators to publish Shorts using their own likeness, reinforcing the platform’s effort to adopt AI responsibly while keeping human creativity at the core. The announcement was shared by YouTube CEO Neal Mohan in his annual letter dated January 21, where he clarified that AI is designed to support creative expression, not replace it.
Reflecting on the platform’s evolution, Mohan pointed out that YouTube has always avoided forcing trends on creators. “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.” This, he said, reflects YouTube’s belief in allowing creators and audiences to shape the platform naturally.
As AI-generated and altered content becomes more common, Mohan acknowledged rising concerns around authenticity and misuse. “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,” he said. To address this, YouTube will continue clear AI labeling and require mandatory disclosure for realistic or synthetic elements.
However, Mohan stressed that labeling alone is not enough. The platform will actively remove harmful synthetic media that violates community guidelines. It is also upgrading systems to reduce the spread of low-quality and repetitive AI-generated content, building on existing tools used to tackle spam and clickbait.
Creator control remains a central focus. YouTube is strengthening its Content ID system to help creators manage and protect the use of their likeness in AI-generated content. The company is also supporting legislation such as the NO FAKES Act to safeguard creative rights across the industry.
The letter also highlighted YouTube’s economic footprint. Over the past 4 years, the platform has paid more than $100 billion to creators, artists, and media organisations. In 2024 alone, YouTube contributed $55 billion to US GDP and supported over 4.9 lakh full-time jobs.
Mohan further noted the expansion of AI tools, including text-to-game creation, auto-dubbing in more than 20 languages, Edit with AI, and Dream Screen for AI-powered Shorts backgrounds. In December, over 6 million viewers daily watched at least 10 minutes of auto-dubbed 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.
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