YouTube discloses new tool for transparency in distinguishing GenAI content from real content

Delhi: In the backdrop of GenAI taking over the tasks of creation, it becomes imperative for viewers to gain more transparency about whether the content they’re seeing is altered or synthetic. YouTube has disclosed a new tool in Creator Studio requiring creators to disclose to viewers when realistic content – content a viewer could easily mistake for a real person, place, or event – is made with altered or synthetic media, including generative AI.

These disclosures will appear as labels in the expanded description or on the front of the video player. 

On their blog post, YouTube cited some examples of content that require disclosure:

• 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.

It is to be noted that creators don’t need to disclose content that is clearly unrealistic, animated, includes special effects, or has used generative AI for production assistance.

No disclosure is sought if generative AI was used for productivity, like generating scripts, content ideas, or automatic captions or when synthetic media is unrealistic and/or the changes are inconsequential.

These cases include:

• Clearly unrealistic content, such as animation or someone riding a unicorn through a fantastical world
• Color adjustment or lighting filters
• Special effects like background blur or vintage effects
• Beauty filters or other visual enhancements

For most videos, a label will appear in the expanded description, but for videos that touch on more sensitive topics — like health, news, elections, or finance — a more prominent label would be shown on the video itself.

The labels are slated to roll out across all YouTube surfaces and formats in the weeks ahead, beginning with the YouTube app on phones and soon on desktop and TV. 

In the future YouTube is looking at enforcement measures for creators who consistently choose not to disclose this information. In some cases, YouTube may add a label even when a creator hasn't disclosed it, especially if the altered or synthetic content has the potential to confuse or mislead people.

The video platform stated that they are continuing to work towards an updated privacy process for people to request the removal of AI-generated or other synthetic or altered content that simulates an identifiable individual, including their face or voice. 

The blog stated, “Creators are the heart of YouTube, and they’ll continue to play an incredibly important role in helping their audience understand, embrace, and adapt to the world of generative AI. This will be an ever-evolving process, and we at YouTube will continue to improve as we learn. We hope that this increased transparency will help all of us better appreciate the ways AI continues to empower human creativity.”