YouTube Secretly Used AI Program to Alter Video Content

What Happened?

Video sharing platform YouTube has been secretly using AI programs to alter video content without informing users or getting their permission. According to Rene Ritchie, YouTube’s Head of Editorial and Creators Liaison, ‘We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise and improve clarity in videos during processing.’

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence, meaning YouTube’s statement confirms they have been using AI to alter videos. Though YouTube did not disclose the exact number of videos that had been altered, it is likely in the thousands. 

Why it Matters

YouTube is one of the largest video sharing platforms in the world, with an estimated 2.5 billion monthly active users. The alteration of videos without permission or acknowledgement raises questions about the authenticity of content on the widely used platform. For content creators, the use of AI to alter imagery has raised concerns about the loss of views, because they claim the alternations can make content look like it was completely generated by AI instead of them.

Miss Palantir at $10? Don’t miss this at $0.30.

When Palantir went public at $10 per share, not many people imagined it would climb 2,500% in just a few years.

And while that ship has sailed, the next one might be in front of our eyes.

Meet Mode Mobile, a company turning everyday phone use into real rewards for 50 million+ users in 170 countries.^*

Instead of Big Tech taking your attention for free, Mode pays people for it for using apps, games, and other everyday activities they’re already doing.

That model has led to:

●     50M+ users
●     $325M+ paid to users
●     $75M in real revenue
●     Nasdaq ticker secured for potential IPO

The kicker? 32,481% growth. That’s over 13× Palantir’s historic run… and Mode hasn’t even hit the stock market yet.

For once, you don’t need to be an insider, VC, or accredited investor to get in.

Right now, shares are open to the public at early-stage prices — as low as $0.30.

If the ticker symbol appears on the Nasdaq, the price could be a different story.

You missed Palantir at $10.

Will you miss Mode at $0.30?

>>> Get the details here

One popular YouTuber, Rhett Shull, posted a video about it saying, ‘If I wanted this terrible over-sharpening I would have done it myself. But the bigger thing is it looks AI-generated. It could potentially erode the trust I have with my audience in a small way.’ Other content creators have voiced similar concerns.

A story on YouTube’s use of AI to alter content was run by the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC), and according to the BBC YouTube did not respond to their inquiries about whether this policy will be continued in the future and to what scale. In addition to brand and reputation concerns, there could be legal troubles for YouTube for altering creators’ content without permission. Copyright laws prohibit the alteration of video content without the owner’s permission. 

At a time when trust is already eroding among the public about what sources of information can be trusted, the secret alteration of videos by a major video sharing platform will probably harm viewers’ trust even more. So far, the alterations being made by YouTube have been subtle, such as removing the wrinkles from someone’s shirt. But the same technology could easily be used to make more substantial changes to video content without either the creators or the audience knowing about it.

How it Affects You

Because YouTube has such a high volume of content and a large number of users, alterations to video content could affect the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of billions of people. Even more, increasing numbers of people are turning to sites like YouTube to get information and news, not just for entertainment, meaning that content alteration could affect public knowledge about a wide range of current events.

^*Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur.

The Deloitte rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.

Please read the offering circular and related risks at invest.modemobile.com.