YouTube CEO Reveals What Creators Worry About in Terms of AI

When it comes to AI, imitation might not be the highest form of flattery.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said that creators are especially nervous about AI-generated dupes that recreate their most valuable asset — themselves — on an episode of the “All-In Podcast” that aired October 8.

“In the creator business and the creativity business, whether you’re a Hollywood celebrity or a YouTuber or an artist, the thing that I hear over and over that they really care about is their likeness,” Mohan said when asked about the role of AI-generated content. Singers are concerned about their voice, traditional YouTubers about their face, he said.

YouTube has a robust Content ID system, which manages copyrighted material. The platform, Mohan said, is working on what he calls “likeness detection” to deal with the issue of AI-generated lookalikes.

“The algorithm should be good enough to actually detect that, and give you a choice as to whether that should come down,” Mohan said. “Or there might be some creators that choose to monetize it. Giving creators control is important.”

Mohan said that YouTube notifies users when a video is made with AI, and that “transparency” is key. The platform is embracing the technology in some ways, as AI videos become increasingly popular. YouTube recently announced new AI tools aimed at bringing audio-first podcasters to the platform, while OpenAI launched Sora 2, an updated version of its generative AI video feature.

Some creators are spooked by the new technology, including MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson.

“When AI videos are just as good as normal videos, I wonder what that will do to YouTube and how it will impact the millions of creators currently making content for a living,” the world’s top YouTuber said in a post on X. “Scary times.”