YouTube is taking a sledgehammer to the low-grade AI garbage cluttering up your feed.
In his annual look-ahead letter, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan laid out a year of big bets, including AI tools alongside a crackdown on what the internet has nicknamed “AI slop.” This comes after announcing that more than a million channels used its AI creation tools every day last December.
The irony of the war on “slop” is that YouTube is actually giving creators more AI tools, not fewer. Later this year, creators will be able to generate Shorts using their own AI-generated likeness. The platform is also testing ways for people to build games and music using nothing but text prompts.
But he admits the tech brings serious problems. “It’s becoming harder to detect what’s real and what’s AI-generated,” Mohan wrote in the official company letter. “This is particularly critical when it comes to deepfakes.”
The plan to tackle this is two-part. First, YouTube will keep making AI tools for creators. Second, it promises to fight the bad stuff harder.
“To reduce the spread of low quality AI content, we’re actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combatting spam and clickbait,” Mohan wrote.
Creators as the new Hollywood
Beyond AI, Mohan’s vision for YouTube is one where creators are the ultimate power players. He argues they have moved far beyond simple user-generated content.
“YouTubers are buying studio-sized lots in Hollywood and beyond to pioneer new formats and produce beautifully produced, must-see TV,” he wrote. “The era of dismissing this content as simply ‘UGC’ is long over.”
He points to creator Julian Shapiro-Barnum’s upcoming Outside Tonight series as an example of new, high-production shows born on the platform.
“When creators hold the keys to their own production and distribution, the only limit is their imagination,” Mohan said.
New rules for the living room and the kids
Beyond AI, the platform is making a play for the family TV. YouTube TV is set to launch customizable “multiview” features and over 10 specialized plans for sports and news.
For parents worried about their kids falling down a Shorts rabbit hole, a new industry-first feature is also coming: Parents will soon be able to set a timer for Shorts, even setting it to zero if they want.
Mohan also highlighted the platform’s massive financial scale, noting that in the last four years, YouTube has paid out over $100 billion to its creators and partners.
Despite the risks that come with AI, Mohan framed YouTube’s strategy as a long-term investment in people, not just technology.
“Ultimately, we’re focused on ensuring AI serves the people who make YouTube great: the creators, artists, partners, and billions of viewers,” he wrote.
Also read: Learn more about AI slop and why it’s spreading across the internet.