YouTube to roll out disclosure labels for videos created using GenAI

YouTube, along with its parent company Google and Meta, has joined the ranks of internet platforms taking steps to combat Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven content manipulation.

The platform has introduced a new tool which mandates creators to disclose to users if a piece of content is generated using synthetic media or with the help of generative AI. The idea is to enhance transparency for users.

“We’re introducing 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, scene, or event – is made with altered or synthetic media, including generative AI,” said YouTube in a blog post.

Once implemented, a label tagging video as ‘altered or synthetic media’ will appear in the video description or as a small overlay in the video player, said the company.

The platform, however, won’t require creators to disclose content that is ‘clearly’ unrealistic, animated, includes special effects, or has used generative AI for production assistance.

“We recognise that creators use generative AI in a variety of ways throughout the creation process. We won’t require creators to disclose if generative AI was used for productivity, like generating scripts, content ideas, or automatic captions,” said YouTube.

For videos that touch on sensitive topics like health, news, elections, or finance, YouTube will show a more prominent label on the video itself.

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, according to the blog.

The move by the video streaming giant comes in the wake of heightened government scrutiny of big tech platforms over the issue of manipulated media, deepfakes, and AI bias.

Giants including Google and Meta have undertaken India-specific interventions to counter misinformation, after the Indian IT ministry issued advisories asking them to “ensure that the biases don’t hamper the interests of the average Indian user” and warning of legal consequences under IT rules.

Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has announced plans to establish a specialised operations centre in India ahead of the upcoming general elections.

Earlier, Google had said that its AI chatbot – Gemini will refrain from answering queries directly related to Indian elections after a controversy erupted over its responses to a question on Prime Minister Modi.

Further, the platform said that it was working towards an updated privacy process that’ll allow users to request the removal of AI-generated or other synthetic or altered content simulating an identifiable individual, including their face or voice.

“While we want to give our community time to adjust to the new process and features, in the future we’ll look at enforcement measures for creators who consistently choose not to disclose this information,” said the company.