Generated AI videos that are hard to distinguish from reality on the internet are about to face strong platform regulation. Google's video giant YouTube has recently announced that it will comprehensively upgrade its AI content labeling system starting in May 2026. The platform will no longer fully rely on creators' self-reporting, but instead use its advanced internal technology system to actively identify and label "highly realistic AI" videos.

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Proactive Platform to Accurately Identify

Over the past two years, although YouTube required creators to voluntarily disclose AI videos involving real people or scenes, the initiative was entirely in the hands of the creators. With the release of new multimodal large models such as Gemini Omni, high-quality realistic videos have spread rapidly, and the traditional "self-disclosure" model is no longer effective in dealing with potential abuse risks. To ensure the transparency of the platform ecosystem, YouTube has completely shifted its governance model to "platform active identification combined with creator cooperation."

Comprehensive Upgrades and More Noticeable Labels

To help viewers clearly see the truth, YouTube has also made significant adjustments to the display location of AI labels. Previously hidden in an expanded description section, these labels will now be fixed below the player in long videos, and directly overlaid on the screen in short videos. However, creators need not worry about their traffic being affected, as these AI labels will not impact the platform's recommendation algorithm or reduce the video's normal ad revenue.