YouTube has been an internet mainstay for more than 20 years – and now the online video platform is giving creators a glimpse into what the future may bring for the longstanding video platform. During the Made on YouTube event on September 16, the platform unveiled a long list of new features, from tools using AI to create to using the technology to fight deepfakes.
The event highlights a number of features coming to YouTube across its traditional videos, Shorts, Live, and Studio, and even introduces a way to add visuals to podcasts to tempt audio creators over to the platform. Some of the key features introduced at Made on YouTube include:
- New tools for YouTube Studio, including an AI chatbot capable of delving into analytics, an AI-powered inspiration tab, and a collaboration tool
- The largest update to YouTube Live yet in the platform’s history, which brings a practice option before the real livestream, streaming across vertical and horizontal formats simultaneously, live reaction videos, AI-powered live highlights, livestream games called Playables, and a new side-by-side ad format
- Expanded AI tools for Shorts using Google Veo, including sound generation, animating still photos, stylizing videos, adding objects to a video, an AI-built first draft tool, and a new Speech to Song remixing tool
That’s a lot to unpack, but the event offers a glimpse at where YouTube is focused for the future. Unsurprisingly, that future includes the tech buzzword of the decade: AI.
The list of updates coming to YouTube includes both AI tools to create and tools to fight deepfakes. On the list of updates announced today alone, creators on YouTube can use AI to add objects to videos, edit shorts, and chat with a bot about analytics and ideas for new videos.
With AI, YouTube also aims to empower creators to enter new genres of work: AI tools make it possible to animate still photos into videos and turn podcasts into videos.
In a way, AI tools make more sense on YouTube because the platform supports anyone from channels led by a single person to multi-million dollar operations like Mr. Beast. That’s exactly the sentiment that YouTube Chief Product Officer Johanna Voolich put to words among today’s announcements. “Anyone with an idea – whether an individual, artist, studio or brand – can become a creator here,” Voolich wrote.
AI isn’t just used to create, but to analyze analytics and ideate potential follow-up ideas. YouTube Studio’s new chatbot has the ability to answer questions and make suggestions on viewer engagement. Studio’s new inspiration tab highlights suggested topics based on your feed, along with using audience behavior to suggest why an idea may work.
On the flipside, the introduction of more AI tools often comes with increasing concerns of a platform filled with “AI slop,” and AI-wary creators have even noticed “AI enhancements” happening behind the scenes in beta tests. I think AI tools need an easy way to opt out, for both creators and viewers.
AI will, in a way, become a weapon against itself here, too. YouTube also announced that it is expanding its likeness detection tool, now in an open beta available to Partner Program creators. The tool helps creators detect videos that use their likeness without permission, including tools to request removal.
While AI was the buzzword across multiple new features YouTube announced today, machine learning isn’t the only trend that emerges from the list of new features. The balance between horizontal and vertical videos continues, with livestreams finally granted the ability to stream in both formats at the same time.
The increasingly popular reaction videos, where one creator reacts to content from another, also get live capabilities, where one creator can respond to another currently livestreaming creator with their own take.
The Made on YouTube updates also bring more tools to YouTube Music and new tools for collaborating with brands.
“As we look ahead to the future we are committed to empowering creators, fostering community, and continuing to redefine how the world watches, listens, and connects,” Voolich wrote. “We can't wait to see what we create together in the next 20 years.”
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