YouTube to ask creators to disclose AI usage
Only realistic content made from generative AI and other synthetic media will require disclosure, said the company
Alphabet’s streaming giant, YouTube announced that it has launched a new tool that will require content creators to disclose to viewers when realistic content is made with generative AI and other altered or synthetic media.
“We’re not requiring creators to disclose content that is clearly unrealistic, animated, includes special effects, or has used generative AI for production assistance,” said YouTube.
The move is to ensure responsible AI innovation that was announced back in November 2023, which includes disclosure requirements and labels, an updated privacy request process.
Some of the content that will require disclosure includes:
- Using the likeness of a realistic person:Digitally altering content to replace the face of one individual with another's or synthetically generating a person’s voice to narrate a video.
- Altering footage of real events or places:Such as making it appear as if a real building caught fire, or altering a real cityscape to make it appear different than in reality.
- Generating realistic scenes:Showing a realistic depiction of fictional major events, like a tornado moving toward a real town.
“Of course, we recognize that creators use generative AI in a variety of ways throughout the creation process. We won’t require creators to disclose if generative AI was used for productivity, like generating scripts, content ideas, or automatic captions. We also won’t require creators to disclose when synthetic media is unrealistic and/or the changes are inconsequential,” said the tech company.
According to YouTube, disclosures won’t be needed for:
- Clearly unrealistic content, such as animation or someone riding a unicorn through a fantastical world
- Colour adjustment or lighting filters
- Special effects like background blur or vintage effects
- Beauty filters or other visual enhancements
Recently, even tech giant Meta said that it will be applying “Imagined with AI” labels to photorealistic images created using Meta AI feature going forward. The move comes at the back of users conveying that they appreciate transparency around this new technology, Meta further noted.
