YouTube is gearing up to launch a suite of new tools designed to give creators greater control over content that mimics their voices or likenesses using generative AI.
In a recent announcement, the platform emphasized that these innovations will help safeguard creators while fostering responsible AI development, ensuring creators can leverage AI without compromising their intellectual property.
One of the first tools being tested is a “synthetic-singing identification technology,” which will automatically detect and manage videos that use AI to replicate an artist’s singing voice. This tool will be integrated into YouTube’s existing Content ID system, and a pilot program is set to launch next year.
This move comes after YouTube’s commitment last year to give music labels more power to combat AI-generated clones of musicians. As AI-powered music tools become more advanced and accessible, many artists fear their work may be plagiarized or copied without consent. Earlier this year, over 200 musicians, including Billie Eilish and Katy Perry, voiced their concerns in an open letter, calling for stronger protections against unauthorized AI mimicry.
In addition to safeguarding music, YouTube is working on a separate tool that can detect facial deepfakes of creators, celebrities, and athletes. While still in development, this technology is part of YouTube’s broader efforts to combat unauthorized use of AI-generated content on the platform.
To further protect creators, YouTube is cracking down on unauthorized scraping of its content by AI companies. The platform plans to block scraping attempts and invest in advanced detection systems to prevent the misuse of creator content for AI training. YouTube aims to ensure that AI enhances human creativity rather than replacing it, and more details about new protective measures for creators will be revealed later this year.
