TL;DRYouTube will automatically detect and label videos with significant photorealistic AI content, moving beyond its voluntary creator disclosure system. Labels are moving to a more prominent position and will be permanent for content made with YouTube’s own tools or verified by C2PA metadata.
YouTube has announced that it will begin automatically detecting and labelling videos that contain significant photorealistic AI-generated content, using internal signals rather than relying on creators to disclose it themselves. The change marks a shift from the platform’s existing system, which has depended on voluntary creator disclosure since it launched in 2024.
The automatic labels will roll out gradually, starting in May 2026. YouTube said the detection system will use a combination of its own signals to identify AI-generated material, though the company did not specify exactly which technical methods it employs.
At the same time, YouTube is moving AI labels to a more prominent position. For long-form videos, labels will now appear directly below the video player rather than in the expanded description, where most viewers never look. For Shorts, the label will appear as an overlay on the video itself.
