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YouTube Announces Big Change for Creators, Users

By Andrew McCarty Men's Journal

Updated May 27, 2026 1:19 PM

In 2024 YouTube starting labeling content when creators disclosed they used AI tools in the making of a video.

In the spirit of that transparency, YouTube is rolling out more strict guidelines for how AI content is disclosed to users.

"We've learned in that time about what people find useful when it comes to AI disclosures, and today we're making two updates that we think will make this process much simpler and more intuitive for creators and viewers on YouTube," the company said in a statement.

Updated Labels for AI Content

YouTube announced it's moving the disclosure label for photorealistic and meaningfully AI altered or generated content to a more prominent position:

For Long-form Videos: The label will now appear directly below the video player, above the description.
For Shorts: The label will appear as an overlay on the video itself.

"By moving these labels on to the main stage, viewers get the context they need at a glance. This is now the single label format for all photorealistic and meaningfully AI altered or generated content on YouTube," the company said.

"For content that is unrealistic, animated, or slightly altered, viewers can find this disclosure in the expanded description."

YouTube Introducing New Technology

YouTube still relies on creators to manually disclose whether or not they've used realistic AI, but that process is getting an upgrade.

"Starting in May 2026, we're rolling out new internal signals to help identify AI-generated content," YouTube announced. "If a creator doesn't specify whether or not they used AI, but our systems detect significant photorealistic AI use, we will now automatically apply a label."

The company made it clear creators remain in control of their content and have the right to update the disclosure status of a video incorrectly identified as AI-generated by the new technology.

Disclosures will remain permanent in a handful of cases, including:

Content created using YouTube's own AI tools, like Veo or Dream Screen.
Content containing C2PA metadata indicating they were fully generative AI.

"These changes are designed to balance transparency with creator control," YouTube said concluding its statement. "It's important to note that a disclosure label alone does not change how a video is recommended or whether it's eligible to earn money. In a world where AI is changing what's possible, our goal is simple: make it as easy as possible for creators and viewers to have the right information."

The changes will take effect by the end of the month.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 12:09 PM.