YouTube will allow AI-generated videos on its platform, but some creators will lose access to monetization under updated YouTube Partner Program rules.
Matt Halprin, YouTube’s vice president of Trust and Safety, said in a Creator Insider interview that the platform is “agnostic” about the tools creators use, and that the policy update is not a blanket ban on AI-made content.
YouTube changed the wording in its monetization policy from “repetitious content” to “inauthentic content.” Halprin said the change is meant to stress that creators in the partner program, including those using AI, must show effort and creativity in their videos.
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The policy identifies three categories of AI content that will be removed from monetized distribution: generic and repetitive videos, including content farming, distressing material such as animals in peril, and “AI personas” giving advice on subjects such as finance and other serious matters.
Halprin said those rules are separate from YouTube’s broader community guidelines, which apply to all uploads and cover issues such as nudity and hate speech. The new changes apply specifically to creators seeking to make money from AI-generated videos.
AI-generated content has grown quickly on YouTube. The Guardian reported last year that about one in 10 of the fastest-growing YouTube channels were focused on AI-generated content.
Public opinion on AI remains mixed. Fortune reported that a recent poll found 26% of respondents had a positive view of AI.
YouTube has also introduced automatic AI detection, though some videos can still avoid identification. Longer videos are more likely to contain visible mistakes, while lower-quality or distant-looking footage can make inconsistencies harder to spot.
Other possible signs of AI-generated footage include hyper-realistic faces, contextually implausible scenes, inconsistent shadows, distorted reflections and unusual perspective or physics errors. YouTube has not yet provided users with a way to filter AI-generated videos out of their feeds.
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