The big idea: YouTube requires creators to tell viewers when a realistic-looking video was made or meaningfully changed with AI. That shows up as a label. Knowing where to look takes 10 seconds.
Where to look:
- Open the video and tap or click the description to expand it.
- Look for a section called "How this content was made." If it says "Made with AI," the video contains content that was meaningfully altered or synthetically generated.
- On some videos, especially Shorts or photorealistic content, a label may also appear on or right below the video player.
What YouTube says counts: making a real person appear to say or do something they didn't, altering footage of real events or places, or showing a realistic scene that never happened.
What the label does NOT tell you:
- No label is not proof a video is real. The system relies largely on creators disclosing. YouTube says it may add a label automatically when its systems detect AI, and that it can penalise creators who keep failing to disclose. That means some AI videos may still have no label.
- Clearly unrealistic or animated content, and minor edits such as beauty filters, may not get the prominent label.
Do this now: next time a video seems shocking, expand the description and look for "How this content was made" before you share it.
Sources
- "Understanding 'How this content was made' disclosures on YouTube": https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/15447836
- "Disclosing use of GenAI content": https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/14328491
- "How Creators Use AI for Content Creation" (How YouTube Works): https://www.youtube.com/intl/en_us/howyoutubeworks/our-commitments/responsible-ai/
From Penloom Studio's free AI lessons: penloomstudio.com
