YouTube CEO Neal Mohan: Creators are now at the epicentre of culture

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has said creators are no longer limited to bedrooms and ring lights—they are shaping culture, reaching audiences across global markets, and building businesses with international scope.

Mohan was speaking about YouTube's priorities for 2026 in an interview released by the platform.

When asked how he sees creators and artists redefining entertainment, Mohan said the creator ecosystem has moved far beyond bedrooms and ring lights. Today's leading creators, he said, are "building out their own studios,... and studio-sized lots in Hollywood," producing content across formats, platforms, and markets, while creating businesses with global reach. From Super Bowl highlights and Oscars reactions to album launches and live events, creators now occupy what Mohan called the "epicenter of culture."

"We are the world's original and largest creator economy," he stated, emphasizing YouTube's leadership with over $100 billion paid to creators, artists, media partners, and stakeholders over recent years. He underlined that this success continues to evolve.

Shopping and direct monetization tools are a priority, Mohan said, with new features allowing creators to link products directly within Shorts and enhance brand collaborations. He also promised dynamic tools enabling creators to "dynamically swap out the creative, the sponsor creative that they have been working with in their videos for another one." This illustrates YouTube's ongoing effort to diversify creator income beyond ads.

AI as a Creative and Accessibility Engine
Artificial intelligence was a key focus of Mohan's remarks. "AI plays a really big role in terms of YouTube being able to deliver for our creators as well as viewers," he said, describing investments in tools that boost creativity and productivity.

YouTube's AI suite powers features like YouTube Create, which supports Shorts creation, and innovative projects such as generating games in YouTube Playables from text prompts. He highlighted AI’s impact on fan engagement via YouTube's Ask button, which in December was used by 20 million viewers to ask creators questions about videos. AI also supports accessibility tools like auto-dubbing, enabling viewers to watch content in languages they don’t speak, used by six million viewers for over 10 minutes of watch time per video.

However, Mohan acknowledged risks around deepfakes and creator likeness, citing YouTube's "likeness detection" tools, which build on Content ID technology to help content owners manage use of their face and voice. Regarding misinformation and fabricated content, Mohan said YouTube will adopt a three-pronged strategy based on transparency, strict enforcement of community guidelines, and recommendation systems that limit low-quality or deceptive content.