YouTube has announced that it is developing new tools to give creators on the platform greater control over the use of AI to copy their voice or facial likenesses. According to YouTube, the new moderation technology aims to protect creators and partners while also encouraging the responsible development of AI’s creative potential.
The first of these tools is described as “synthetic singing recognition technology.” With this technology, content creators and artists will be able to automatically detect YouTube videos where their voices are imitated using artificial intelligence and manage this content. YouTube said this tool is part of its existing Content ID copyright recognition system and will be tested as part of a pilot program next year.
The announcement comes after YouTube promised last November to allow music companies to remove AI-generated impersonations of musicians. The rapid development and ease of access to AI music tools has raised concerns among artists about unauthorized copying, imitation, and copyright infringement of their work. Earlier this year, more than 200 artists, including Billie Eilish, Pearl Jam, and Katy Perry, published an open letter calling unauthorized impersonations by AI an “assault on human creativity” and calling for the technology to be developed responsibly.
YouTube is also working on a separate tool that could detect deepfakes, which are videos that mimic the facial likenesses of content creators, actors, musicians and athletes. This system is still in development and there is no clear date for when it will be available.
YouTube has also pledged to crack down on those who develop AI tools that scrape content on the platform. The company said in a statement that “accessing content creators without permission violates our Terms of Service,” and that such activities will be blocked on the platform. However, this has not stopped companies like OpenAI, Apple, Anthropic, Nvidia, Salesforce, and Runway AI from using thousands of YouTube videos without permission to train their AI systems. YouTube said it has invested in scraping detection systems to prevent this from happening and will block content scrapers from accessing the platform.
YouTube: AI should not replace human creativity
YouTube emphasized that AI should enhance human creativity, not replace it, and said, “We are committed to working with our partners to ensure that future technological advances amplify the voices of creators, and we will continue to develop safeguards as needed to address concerns.”
YouTube also announced that it plans to give content creators more options for how third-party AI companies can use their content on the platform, with details to be shared later this year.