Sarah Perez reports via TechCrunch: YouTube today announcement how it will approach the management of AI-created content on its platform with a range of new policies surrounding responsible disclosure as well as new tools to request the removal of deepfakes, among others. The company says that while it already has policies prohibiting media manipulation, AI necessitated the creation of new policies due to its potential to mislead viewers if they are unaware that the video has been “modified or synthetically created”. One of the changes that will be implemented involves the creation of new disclosure requirements for YouTube creators. Now, they will have to disclose when they have created edited or synthetic content that looks realistic, including videos made with AI tools. For example, this disclosure would be used if a creator uploads a video that appears to depict a real-world event that never happened, or shows someone saying something they never said or doing something something he never did.
It should be noted that this disclosure is limited to content that “looks realistic” and is not a general disclosure requirement for all synthetic videos produced via AI. “We want viewers to have context when watching realistic content, including when AI tools or other synthetic modifications were used to generate it,” a YouTube spokesperson told TechCrunch. Jack Malon. “This is particularly important when the content addresses sensitive topics, such as elections or ongoing conflicts,” he stressed. (…) The company also warns that creators who do not properly and consistently disclose their use of AI will be subject to “content removal, YouTube Partner Program suspension, or other sanctions.” YouTube says it will work with creators to ensure they understand the requirements before they go live. But it notes that some AI content, even if labeled, may be removed if it is used to show “realistic violence” if the goal is to shock or disgust viewers. (…)
Other changes include the ability for any YouTube user to request the removal of any synthetic or edited AI-generated content that simulates an identifiable individual – i.e. a deepfake – including their face or voice . But the company specifies that not all reported content will be removed, leaving room for parody or satire. It also says it will consider whether or not the person requesting removal can be uniquely identified or whether the video features a public official or other well-known person, in which case “the bar may be higher,” YouTube says. Alongside the deepfake request removal tool, the company is introducing a new capability that will allow music partners to request the removal of AI-generated music that imitates an artist’s singing or rapping voice.
