YouTube Announces New Tools to Protect Creators in the Age of AI
YouTube is developing tools to detect the use of AI-generated versions of users’ voices or images in videos without their consent. In an announcement today, the Google-owned platform said the tools will protect creators on its platform.
This announcement is a welcome development as the tools address major concerns about the spread of deepfakes, which sometimes lead to financial and reputational losses.
The company explained that it is working on two tools. The first is a vocal singing tool that will be part of YouTube’s Content ID system. This feature detects and removes AI-generated content that mimics other people’s voices on the platform.
For the second tool, YouTube is developing technology that will allow popular people like creators, athletes, musicians, and artists to detect and remove fakes of their faces on the platform. The company said these tools, along with updates to its privacy and terms of service, would be enough to protect creators.
However, YouTube's goal is not to prevent people from using AI on its platform; it only seeks to ensure the responsible use of AI and empower creators to control the use of their images.
Meanwhile, YouTube didn't provide a timeline for when these features will be available to users, only noting that the singing detection tool still needs some tweaking, but that there will be a pilot program in early 2025.