YouTube continues to make changes to the user experience. While some of these features have intentionally made watching YouTube worse, others have proven to be genuinely useful, like the new Custom YouTube Stream feature. However, one area where YouTube has particularly struggled is with the influx of AI content. Thanks to new features like Reimagine — which let you take short films and recreate them using AI prompts — and the influx of AI slops on the platform in general, browsing YouTube has become a minefield for those looking to find real, authentic human-centered content. But YouTube wants to solve this problem.
Starting in May, YouTube says it will add more visible labels to videos featuring photorealistic AI. Long videos, which are currently labeled in the description, will now receive a label just below the video player so you can see them more easily. Meanwhile, videos on YouTube Shorts will now carry the label directly on the video itself. YouTube says the change aims to provide more context to viewers at a glance.
Additionally, it will also launch a new feature that automatically searches for signs of AI in videos. If it finds them, the system will automatically add the AI ​​label. While many people commented on YouTube’s announcement video, thanking the company for being more transparent, others argued that simply adding labels wasn’t enough. Creators can still manually mark their video as using AI, which has been an option since 2024.
YouTube users want the platform to take a tougher stance against AI
One user even went so far as to write that they should be able to completely filter AI videos on the platform, especially as a subscriber to YouTube Premium, whose prices increased earlier this year. Others agreed that they should be able to add a filter to search results to completely hide AI videos. This would make it less likely that they would click on an AI video. One particular area that users seemed to agree on was that YouTube shouldn’t limit itself to photorealistic videos. It should also label anything that uses AI voiceovers, AI scripts, and even AI modifications.
Of course, proving all these things is another matter entirely, but users seem to think YouTube could pull it off. One user also noted that fact-checking information would be a useful feature to add, as it would hopefully help reduce random AI-powered “fact channels” that use AI in everything.
At this time, YouTube has not clarified whether users will be able to click on the labels for more information. However, it would make sense that they would be. YouTube said any creator caught in its automated system and wrongly identified as using AI will be able to appeal. However, videos in which C2PA metadata indicates a source considered primarily AI, as well as videos with watermarks such as those created with Google Veo cannot be appealed.
