YouTube Expands AI’s Role in the Creator Economy

YouTube plans to deepen its use of artificial intelligence (AI) across content creation, moderation and experimentation in 2026, according to a Wednesday (Jan.21) blog post from Chief Executive Neal Mohan.

The company framed AI as a core capability that will shape how creators make videos, how audiences discover them, and how YouTube manages quality as generative AI tools become more widespread.

The blog post outlines new AI-powered creation tools, additional safeguards around misuse and early experiments in music and other formats. YouTube did not announce changes to revenue-sharing arrangements or describe how AI might alter creator payouts.

AI Becomes Part of the Creation Process

YouTube said it plans to roll out new AI-assisted tools that allow creators to generate content more directly within the platform. Mohan highlighted features that let creators make Shorts using AI-generated versions of their own likeness, as well as other early experiments. The company aims to give creators more ways to experiment and scale their work, while leaving creative decisions in human hands. On average, more than 1 million channels used YouTube’s AI creation tools daily in December, the company said.

The company also reiterated its focus on localization. YouTube has already introduced auto-dubbing features that translate videos into other languages and is looking to expanding access to content across languages. In December, YouTube averaged more than 6 million daily viewers who watched at least 10 minutes of auto dubbed content.

“AI will act as a bridge between curiosity and understanding,” Mohan wrote in the blog. “In December alone, more than 20 million users learned more about the content they watched through our Ask tool, asking questions like “What’s the story behind this song’s lyrics?” or “What ingredients do I need to make this recipe?” We’re also using AI to make more videos accessible.”

Mohan also emphasized protections tied to identity. YouTube said it will continue expanding tools that help creators detect and manage unauthorized uses of their face or voice in AI-generated content. Those tools build on earlier efforts to label synthetic media. As reported by PYMNTS, YouTube now lets creators identify and request removal of AI-generated videos using their face or voice without consent.

By embedding creation and localization tools directly inside YouTube, the company reduces reliance on external software.

Scale Raises Concerns About Content Quality

Alongside its push to expand artificial intelligence creation tools, YouTube acknowledged the risks that come with easier and faster content production. Mohan said the company is increasingly focused on managing low-quality or misleading AI-generated content, a problem he described as a growing concern for the platform.

Mohan said managing “AI slop” is a priority for YouTube in 2026. YouTube has said it relies heavily on automated systems to identify spam, misleading videos and policy violations. Mohan said the company plans to strengthen those systems to address new forms of abuse enabled by generative AI. He did not outline specific enforcement thresholds or describe how YouTube will evaluate acceptable versus unacceptable uses of artificial intelligence in content creation.

“To reduce the spread of low quality AI content, we’re actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combatting spam and clickbait, and reducing the spread of low quality, repetitive content,” Mohan wrote.

The company said it plans clearer disclosure for certain types of AI-generated content and will continue removing synthetic media that violates its existing policies.

Music Experiments and Questions on Monetization

Mohan also pointed to music as an area where YouTube plans to experiment with AI. The company said it will introduce tools that allow creators to generate or experiment with music while operating within YouTube’s licensing and rights framework. The letter emphasized the importance of protecting artists and respecting copyright as these tools roll out.

But how rights holders will be compensated and when those tools will become widely available was not disclosed.

Beyond music, Mohan reiterated YouTube’s broader focus on helping creators build sustainable businesses on the platform. He said YouTube has paid creators, artists and media partners more than $100 billion over the past four years.