YouTube now labels AI-generated videos automatically

YouTube is making it easier for viewers to identify AI-generated content on its platform. Todd Spangler reports for Variety that the platform is introducing automatic AI content labels and moving existing disclosures to more visible positions on the page.

Until now, YouTube required creators to manually disclose AI use. Going forward, YouTube will also apply labels automatically when its systems detect “significant photorealistic AI use,” even if the creator has not made a disclosure. Creators who believe their video was incorrectly flagged can contest the label using YouTube Studio.

However, some labels will be permanent. These include videos created with YouTube’s own AI tools, such as Veo or Dream Screen, and videos that carry C2PA metadata indicating full AI generation. C2PA is a technical standard developed by the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity to certify the origin of digital content.

Labels move to a more prominent spot

YouTube is also repositioning its AI disclosure labels to make them harder to miss:

• For long-form videos, the label will appear directly below the video player, above the description.
• For YouTube Shorts, the label will appear as an overlay on the video itself.
• Content judged to be only slightly altered or animated will continue to carry a disclosure only in the expanded description.

Rene Ritchie, YouTube’s head of editorial and creator liaison, states that the labels “do not affect how our videos are recommended or whether they can earn money.” He describes the goal as “context at a glance.”

YouTube says the changes aim to “balance transparency with creator control.”