YouTube’s AI slop tsunami is only gaining momentum. Part of the reason for that is that ‘creators’ feel that they can earn a quick buck by only doing the bare minimum. They’re also right. Last year, YouTube made some changes to its policies in an attempt to stop what it called “inauthentic” content — like soulless, mass-produced, and repetitive videos — from earning money. Now, the Alphabet-owned company has clarified that stance.
The thinking is that without a solid revenue stream in place, the creators flooding the platform with AI slop might be discouraged from doing so in the future. YouTube explained that three types of content fall under the pretty broad “inauthentic” umbrella, which will mean a video is ineligible to earn revenue. ‘Bout time.
Don’t get sloppy now
First things first. YouTube isn’t banning AI-generated content outright. In fact, there are some areas, as pointed out by the company’s VP of trust & safety, Matt Halprin, that YouTube feels AI can be a tool rather than a hindrance. Whether you actually agree is another matter entirely.
“AI can actually allow people to make a lot of videos,” said Halprin. “Sometimes those videos are great, and it really enhances creativity. And you can create a higher volume of high-quality content that we want to encourage and have in YPP.”
“But that exact same new tool can allow you to make lots of videos really quickly that are very similar. They’re very generic and don’t really have a narrative arc and don’t really show your creativity,” he added.
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Still, if your videos fall into one of the categories described by YouTube, there’s a good chance you’ll need one of these soon. Firstly, if YouTube feels your videos include repetitive content — like those that can be easily generated with AI, CGI, or even a template. Halprin even describes replicating tutorial videos already prominent on the platform as being “repetitive”.
Next up is “off-putting content”. That’s a rather wide net to cast, so it’ll be interesting to see how YouTube enforces it in the future. It’s going after videos created solely for the purpose of being emotionally manipulative to boost views. Halprin’s example involves putting an animal in danger, only to be rescued later. Even if the content isn’t AI-generated, YouTube will remove that channel from the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).
Finally, YouTube’s going after the ‘AI persona’ that’s become the meta in recent years. Rather than filming a video yourself, a creator leaves an AI-generated character to run the show. YouTube… doesn’t want that. Or, more specifically, it doesn’t want these personas to discuss more sensitive topics on the platform. We’re talking finance, legal issues, healthcare, and medical issues. Doing so may also impede that channel’s money-making ability.
