Latest news with #ReneRitchie
NDTV
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
YouTube Updating Monetisation Policies Over AI Slop Concerns. Check Details
Amid the inflow of artificial intelligence-generated (AI) slop on YouTube, the Google-owned platform is gearing up to update its policies to crack down on creators' ability to generate revenue from "inauthentic" content. Though unoriginal content is already ineligible for monetisation, the mass-produced videos and other types of repetitive content that are mostly churned up using AI will also fall under the same category, under the improved YouTube Partner Program. As for creators concerned that certain types of video, such as reaction videos, would also be demonetised, YouTube Head of Editorial & Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie issued a statement, clarifying that this is not the case. As per Mr Ritchie, the new update is designed to better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive. He added that this type of content is often perceived as spam by the viewers. "In order to monetise as part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), YouTube has always required creators to upload "original" and "authentic" content. On July 15, 2025, YouTube is updating our guidelines to better identify mass-produced and repetitious content. This update better reflects what "inauthentic" content looks like today," said Mr Ritchie. "This is a minor update to YouTube's long-standing YPP policies to help better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive. This type of content has already been ineligible for monetisation for years and is content viewers often consider spam. That's it. That's all," he added. Not exactly.. to clarify, this is a minor update to our long-standing YPP policies to help us *better identify* when content is mass-produced or repetitive. This type of content has already been ineligible for monetization for years, and is content viewers often consider spam — TeamYouTube (@TeamYouTube) July 3, 2025 While YouTube has been cracking down on such content, the rise of AI technology has turned the platform into a cesspool of AI slop. Users are often bombarded with videos having an AI voice overlaid on photos, videos or other repurposed content, made using text-to-video AI tools. Some channels filled with AI music have millions of subscribers. Fake, AI-generated videos about news events, like the Diddy trial, have racked up millions of views. The policy update showcases YouTube's renewed emphasis on original and authentic content standards, which the company claims have always been required for monetisation eligibility.
Fast Company
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
YouTube monetization update: What creators need to know as ‘AI slop' overwhelms the platform
YouTube is cracking down on 'mass-produced' and 'repetitive' content. The Google-owned video-sharing platform has released additional guidance for its YouTube Partner Program (YPP) in response to the growing popularity of AI -generated videos. 'In order to monetize as part of the YPP, YouTube has always required creators to upload 'original' and 'authentic' content,' the update states. 'YouTube is updating our guidelines to better identify mass-produced and repetitious content. This update better reflects what 'inauthentic' content looks like today.' The update comes into effect on Tuesday, July 15. How much AI is too much? However, the announcement was met with concern from some creators over whether any AI use would demonetize a video. Rene Ritchie, YouTube's head of editorial and creator liaison, released a video in an effort to put some of these worries to bed. Ritchie called the update 'minor,' explaining that it should help with identifying unwanted content. 'This type of content has already been ineligible for monetization for years, and its content viewers often consider spam,' he added. YouTube is in a unique position when it comes to AI. Its parent company, Alphabet, is backing a series of AI initiatives, benefiting from AI's widespread use. It runs the Google AI Studio and develops AI models such as the Gemini series. At the same time, Alphabet has to acknowledge not only the downsides of AI, but its potential to overwhelm platforms that rely on user-generated content—in other words, rein in instances of repetitive, inauthentic slop created with the very technologies that it's investing so heavily in.
Indian Express
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
YouTube plans to tighten creator monetisation rules amid rise in AI-generated slop
YouTube is looking to clamp down on content creators who generate revenue from 'inauthentic' videos, including mass-produced and repetitive content. The Alphabet-owned company has said it will update its YouTube Partner Program (YPP) monetisation policies on July 15, to require creators to upload 'original' and 'authentic' content. The updated monetisation policies will contain more detailed guidelines on what type of content can be monetised by creators. The move has reportedly raised concerns among YouTubers about whether it could limit them from monetising content such as reaction videos or content that contains featured clips. In response to these concerns, Rene Ritchie, YouTube's Head of Editorial and Creator Liaison, has clarified that this won't be the case. In a YouTube video posted on Tuesday, July 8, Ritchie said, 'This is a minor update to YouTube's long-standing YPP policies to help better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive. This type of content has already been ineligible for monetisation for years and is content viewers often consider spam. Recent advancements in AI text-to-video generators have led to a surge in low-quality, AI-generated content on platforms such as YouTube. This type of content has come to be known as AI slop. This also includes authentic videos or photos that have been overlaid with AI-generated voices. It remains to be seen how YouTube's monetisation policies continue to evolve to address such content. Google, on the other hand, is also integrating its Veo 3 model in YouTube Shorts to help creators leverage its most advanced AI video generator first introduced at the tech giant's I/O 2025 developer conference a few months ago. Earlier this year, a true crime murder series on YouTube that went viral, was later discovered to be completely AI-generated, according to a report by 404 Media. Previous reports have also revealed a rise in AI-generated phishing scams, with one of them even featuring the likeness of YouTube CEO Neal Mohan to dupe victims. Several AI music channels are found to have acquired millions of subscribers. AI-generated YouTube videos about news events, like the Diddy trial, have reportedly garnered millions of views as well.
The Verge
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
YouTube ‘clarifies' its plan to demonetize spammy AI slop
YouTube is trying to soothe concerns about an incoming update to its monetization policies following backlash from online creators. An announcement that YouTube would be updating restrictions around 'inauthentic' content under the YouTube Partner Program guidelines was interpreted by some to mean the platform was planning to demonetize a wider variety of videos, including those using AI-generated content, clips, and reactions. Now, YouTube is seeking to clarify the situation. 'YouTube has always required creators to upload 'original' and 'authentic' content,' YouTube said in its initial notification about the policy change. 'On July 15, 2025, YouTube is updating our guidelines to better identify mass-produced and repetitious content. This update better reflects what 'inauthentic' content looks like today.' According to a video posted by YouTube editorial head Rene Ritchie, the changes being introduced on July 15th are a 'minor update' to existing monetization policies, which already require creators to make significant changes to any unoriginal content in their videos. Ritchie says the new policy language will 'help to better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive,' according to Ritchie. 'This kind of content has been ineligible for monetization for years, and it's content that viewers often consider spam.' The updated policy text hasn't been released yet. Clarifying what type of content is approved for monetization could help to stem the flood of AI-generated video slop on the platform, however. The technology is becoming increasingly accessible, making it easier than ever to produce low-quality content en masse. It's common to find videos that combine stolen clips with AI-generated voiceovers, and entire channels dedicated to pushing out lazily made AI spam, despite YouTube's requirement for monetized content to be 'original and authentic.' In response to an X user speculating that the change will prevent fully AI-generated videos from being monetized entirely, YouTube clarified that using AI to improve content is still eligible if it meets all other policy requirements. With any luck, the clarifications around what counts as 'mass-produced or repetitive' content will at least clear some of the spam that's filling up the YouTube feeds.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
YouTube will update monetisation policy to identify mass-produced, repetitive videos
YouTube this month will roll out an update aimed at identifying mass-produced or repetitive content that is not considered authentic under the terms of its YouTube Partner Program, as per its support page. While AI was not explicitly mentioned, many YouTube creators and content makers speculated the update would apply to low-quality Generative AI videos created with very little effort. These are often uploaded to YouTube in large numbers to make quick money, rather than to thoughtfully build a creative brand and audience over time. 'In order to monetize as part of the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), YouTube has always required creators to upload 'original' and 'authentic' content. On July 15, 2025, YouTube is updating our guidelines to better identify mass-produced and repetitious content. This update better reflects what 'inauthentic' content looks like today,' said the Google-owned video platform in a new announcement regarding the YouTube Partner Program. YouTube Liaison and YouTuber Rene Ritchie further explained the update and how it might affect creators or channel owners, but clarified the update was not a major change for most. 'This is a minor update to YouTube's long-standing YPP policies to help better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive. This type of content has already been ineligible for monetisation for years and is content viewers often consider spam. That's it. That's all,' he said. The proliferation of low-cost Generative AI video generators has led to a surge in synthetic videos that can make it more challenging for human creatives to earn money from videos that require more time, effort, and funds to produce.
