YouTube, a leading platform for video content, has recently unveiled a new tool Label AI-Generated Content within Creator Studio designed to enhance transparency and build trust between creators and viewers. This tool focuses on ensuring that viewers are aware when videos contain altered or synthetic media that could be mistaken for real people, places, or events.
What Requires Disclosure?
Creators are now mandated to disclose the use of altered or synthetic media that creates realistic content which viewers might easily perceive as authentic. This disclosure will be visible as labels in the expanded description or directly on the video player, as outlined in YouTube’s announcement from November.
Examples of content necessitating disclosure include digitally altering a real person’s likeness, modifying footage of actual events or locations, and generating realistic scenes for fictional events. However, YouTube exempts creators from disclosing the use of AI for productivity purposes like generating scripts or captions, as well as for changes that are minor or clearly unrealistic.
Where Will Labels Appear?
These disclosure labels will be rolled out across all YouTube surfaces and formats. While most videos will feature labels in the expanded description, videos addressing sensitive topics such as health or news will have more prominent labels directly on the video itself.
Implementation and Enforcement
The rollout of these labels will be gradual across YouTube’s platforms, allowing creators time to adapt. However, enforcement measures may be considered in the future for creators who consistently fail to disclose information. In cases where disclosure is lacking and the content has the potential to mislead viewers, YouTube reserves the right to add labels themselves.
Privacy Process Update
In addition to the disclosure tool, YouTube is actively working on updating its privacy process. This update will enable individuals to request the removal of AI-generated or synthetic content that simulates identifiable individuals, including their faces or voices. More details regarding this process will be shared globally in due course.
Collaboration for Transparency
YouTube’s commitment to transparency extends beyond its platform interactions. The company collaborates with industry partners as a steering member of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA). This collaboration underscores YouTube’s dedication to ensuring authenticity and transparency in digital content.
Availability
The rollout of YouTube’s content disclosure tool will commence on the YouTube app before expanding to desktop and TV platforms.
This new tool from YouTube marks a significant step towards enhancing transparency in online content creation, fostering trust between creators and viewers while addressing the evolving landscape of AI-generated media.