YouTube to automatically label AI-generated content

Añadido: 2026-05-28

[00:00:02]Welcome back. In this week's Tech Watch, it is getting harder to tell what's real and what's AI. I'm sure a lot of people can relate to that. YouTube is now trying to make it easier for viewers to know the difference, and the company has unveiled a new AI labeling system.

[00:00:17]We're moving the disclosure label for photorealistic or meaningfully altered content. For long-form videos, the label is moving from the description to a prominent spot just below the player.

[00:00:26]And for shorts, it'll be an overlay right on the video itself.

[00:00:30]CNET editor-at-large Scott Stein joins us right now. Scott, thanks for your time today. So, uh creators are already responsible for tagging their AI content. What is YouTube adding here that's so special or different?

[00:00:44]Well, it's trying to really jump ahead and give you an actual label to identify it. And it'd be interesting to see how this plays out, but the label, if it's again as Renee Ritchie described in that video, if it's using uh significantly altered um content per what Google identifies, then it will be labeled with AI um in right at the top part of the descriptor heading in a long-form, but also overlay directly on the video in short-form. Mhm. I think that's helpful, but it does raise some interesting questions for where I see AI going down the road, which is that we see so many AI tools, including those made by Google, to make work and other things uh flow faster. And I think the level of AI that gets into work is going to get really fuzzy. Is something completely AI-generated? Is it edited with AI? Um how will we know the degree? And so, this almost feels more like a stamp that people will recognize as AI, you know, AI or real or fake or real, but but where do you find the nuance in between?

[00:01:40]Also, how will you know which parts have been altered? Uh which is one of the parts that I also think is is becoming an issue as we watch videos. Yeah, all some very important points that you bring up there. I want to ask you about Spotify because they're now letting people use AI to create personal podcasts. Uh what can you tell us about that?

[00:02:00]Yeah, so this is kind of falling in right in line with some things that we've already seen. Google has Notebook LM that makes realistic podcast discussions of your content. Alexa Plus has some podcast type discussions. This is meant to be something that gives you kind of a brief combining information that you'd want to listen to.

[00:02:18]The question here is of course how does that compete with or enable the other podcast from people who are looking to make money off podcast [clears throat] and get their voices heard. Spotify doing this is is it going to take over the feed or is it going to help amplify other voices that are out there. I think this almost feels like a dimension of what's going on with AI and search where you'll find summaries of things that other people have done and then you wonder well, how do I get the original article? How do I get the click back to the actual site that had it?

[00:02:47]Yeah. I don't know how this works yet, but it's going to roll out to premium subscribers. I hope that it helps you discover stuff that's out there and link to it versus just suck up information and replace it. Cuz we already already have enough information out there.

[00:03:01]There's just so much going on. It's hard to just keep my mind or wrap my my mind around it. So Finally, let's talk about Apple because they may be preparing mysterious new over-the-ear headphones.

[00:03:15]Yeah, this is just an early hand from an FCC filing that had been pointed out online and you know, it's it's hard to tell when this would be or where this would be, but I think it's interesting because whether or not this turns into something from Beats or or Apple because they two headphone brands basically kind of under under one roof.

[00:03:34]Apple is expected to be making camera enabled AirPods this fall that are going to have some AI functionality. I wonder whether over-the-ear headphones might start adding cameras too. This is just speculation, but I saw something like that at CES this past January made by Razer and Qualcomm.

[00:03:52]The answer might be the question, in fact, not the answer, the question might be for what exactly? Why would you need that AI? But maybe as a way as a way to get to AI assistance without wearing glasses, which is what a lot of other companies are doing right now. Gosh.

[00:04:06]I'm sure you have so much in your brain there when it comes to all these new things or technology that's coming out.

[00:04:11]So, we appreciate you making the time for us on 24/7 to walk us through them.

[00:04:14]Scott Stein, thank you so much for your time.

[00:04:17]Yeah, thank you.