MrBeast flags AI as potential threat to creators’ livelihoods

New Delhi: Top YouTube creator MrBeast has raised concerns over the impact of artificial intelligence on the livelihoods of content creators. On social media, he questioned how AI-generated videos could affect “millions of creators currently making content for a living,” adding, “Scary times.”

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, topped Forbes’ 2025 list of highest-earning creators with $85 million in earnings and 634 million followers. His public remarks carry significant weight across the industry, suggesting that smaller creators may face even greater uncertainty about the role of AI in content production.

The comments follow the launch of OpenAI’s Sora 2, an audio and video generation tool, which includes a mobile app enabling users to create AI-generated content, including videos of themselves in a TikTok-style feed. 

YouTube has also integrated AI into its platform, offering editing tools that allow creators to animate still images or apply different visual styles to their videos. AI features are being used to generate clips from live streams and podcasts, and a chatbot has been added to assist creators within YouTube Studio.

MrBeast has previously experimented with AI himself. This summer, he faced criticism after releasing an AI-powered tool for creating video thumbnails, which he subsequently removed and replaced with links to human artists for commission. His company’s philanthropic initiatives have also occasionally involved AI investments.