YouTube under fire for AI video edits without creator consent
By experimenting with AI edits without approval, YouTube has angered creators and renewed debates about trust, regulation and control in the age of AI.
Anger grows as YouTube secretly alters some uploaded videos using machine learning. The company admitted that it had been experimenting with automated edits, which sharpen images, smooth skin, and enhance clarity, without notifying creators.
Although tools like ChatGPT or Gemini did not generate these changes, they still relied on AI.
The issue has sparked concern among creators, who argue that the lack of consent undermines trust.
YouTuber Rhett Shull publicly criticised the platform, prompting YouTube liaison Rene Ritchie to clarify that the edits were simply efforts to ‘unblur and denoise’ footage, similar to smartphone processing.
However, creators emphasise that the difference lies in transparency, since phone users know when enhancements are applied, whereas YouTube users were unaware.
Consent remains central to debates around AI adoption, especially as regulation lags and governments push companies to expand their use of the technology.
Critics warn that even minor, automatic edits can treat user videos as training material without permission, raising broader concerns about control and ownership on digital platforms.
YouTube has not confirmed whether the experiment will expand or when it might end.
For now, viewers noticing oddly upscaled Shorts may be seeing the outcome of these hidden edits, which have only fuelled anger about how AI is being introduced into creative spaces.
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