YouTube tightens monetization policy, won't pay for videos that don't look original and authentic

 YouTube tightens monetization policy, won't pay for videos that don't look original and authentic

YouTube, the world's largest video platform, is preparing to crack down on 'inauthentic' content. Starting July 15, YouTube is updating its YouTube Partner Program (YPP) monetization policy, which is specifically targeted at mass-produced and repetitive videos.

This step has been taken because it is easier to create such content with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. YouTube has been emphasizing that creators should upload 'original' and 'authentic' content.

The upcoming new policy will help creators better understand what 'inauthentic' content looks like in the current context, the company said. The main reason behind this policy is that with the development of AI technology, YouTube has been flooded with ‘AI slop’, i.e., low-quality content created using generative AI technology. Recently, there has been a growing trend of creating videos by overlaying AI voices on photos, video clips, or other recycled content with the help of text-to-video AI tools.

Some channels filled with AI music have millions of subscribers. Fake, AI-generated videos about news events, such as the DD trial, have received millions of views.

Earlier this year, a purportedly true crime murder series that went viral on YouTube was found to be entirely AI-generated. There was even an AI-generated phishing scam using a fake image of YouTube CEO Neil Mohan.

YouTube's editorial and creator chief Rene Ritchie said in a video update that the change was a "general update" to YouTube's old YPP policy, and that it was intended to better identify content that was mass-produced or repetitive. According to Ritchie, such content had been ineligible for monetization for years, as viewers often considered it spam.

He also clarified that the update would not limit monetization to "reaction videos" or videos that include clips. However, TechCrunch reported that this was not just a "general update." With the advent of AI technology, it has become much easier to create such videos, which Ritchie did not mention.

It is analyzed that allowing such content to flourish and its creators to make a profit could ultimately damage YouTube's reputation and value. Therefore, the company needs a clear policy that allows AI-sloped creators to be banned en masse from YPP.

With the implementation of this policy, YouTube is expected to take stronger steps to maintain the quality of content on its platform.