New labels for AI-generated content will appear directly on videos and Shorts as the platform expands efforts to flag realistic AI-created media.
WASHINGTON — YouTube is rolling out more prominent labels for AI-generated videos and will begin automatically detecting and labeling some content created with artificial intelligence, the company announced Wednesday.
The changes come as generative AI tools become more common across social media and video platforms, raising concerns about transparency and misinformation.
Under the updated system, labels for “photorealistic and meaningfully AI-altered or generated content” will now appear directly below long-form videos and as an overlay on Shorts videos, YouTube said.
Previously, those disclosures appeared in the expanded description section of videos.
“We’ve heard consistently from our community that they value transparency when it comes to generative AI content,” YouTube said.
Starting this month, YouTube also plans to roll out internal detection systems that can automatically identify some AI-generated content. If a creator does not disclose realistic AI use but YouTube’s systems detect “significant photorealistic AI use,” the platform said it may automatically apply a label.
Creators will still be required to manually disclose realistic AI-generated content under YouTube’s policies.
According to YouTube, creators who believe a video was incorrectly flagged as AI-generated will be able to update the disclosure status through YouTube Studio. However, labels will remain permanent for some videos, including those created using YouTube AI tools like Veo or Dream Screen, or videos containing metadata indicating they were fully generated with AI.
The company said the labels will not affect how videos are recommended or whether creators can earn money.
“The goal here is context at a glance. If it looks real but was made with AI, viewers will know immediately,” Rene Ritchie, YouTube’s head of editorial and creator liaison, said in a video explaining the changes.
YouTube said disclosures for content that is “unrealistic, animated or slightly altered,” but not clearly AI-generated, will continue appearing in the expanded description section rather than directly on the video page.