YouTube Makes AI Content Labels More Prominent as Google Pushes Video Remix Tools
YouTube says new disclosure tools and automatic AI detection will help viewers more easily identify AI-generated videos.
By Jason NelsonEdited by Andrew HaywardMay 27, 2026May 27, 20263 min read
In brief
- YouTube is moving AI disclosure labels into more visible positions on Shorts and long-form videos.
- The platform will automatically apply labels to some AI-generated videos even if creators fail to disclose AI use.
- The changes arrive as Google expands Gemini Omni-powered editing and remix features across YouTube Shorts.
YouTube is expanding its AI disclosure system as the platform rolls out more AI-powered video editing and remixing tools for creators and viewers alike.
In a blog post on Wednesday, YouTube said it will make labels for AI-generated or “meaningfully altered” videos more prominent. Under the updated system, labels on long-form videos will appear directly below the player, while labels on Shorts will appear as overlays on the video itself.
“By moving these labels on to the main stage, viewers get the context they need at a glance,” YouTube wrote. “This is now the single label format for all photorealistic and meaningfully AI altered or generated content on YouTube.”
We’re making AI disclosures simpler for creators and clearer for viewers. Here's what's coming:
🏷️ Labels for realistic AI-generated content will appear on the video player for both long-form videos and on Shorts.
🔍 We’re introducing automatic AI detection to help creators… pic.twitter.com/2F3pXIvESI
— Updates From YouTube (@UpdatesFromYT) May 27, 2026
YouTube said it will start using its own systems to spot AI-generated videos and add labels to them, even if creators do not say AI was used.
“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,” YouTube wrote.
Creators can dispute incorrect labels through YouTube Studio, although disclosures will remain permanent for videos made with YouTube AI tools, as well as content that includes metadata identifying it as AI-generated.
The update comes as Google expands its AI-generated media tools across YouTube and its Gemini AI model.
At Google I/O 2026 earlier this month, Google introduced Gemini Omni, a multimodal AI model that combines Gemini with the company’s media-generation tools, including Veo, Nano Banana, and Genie, and allows users to create and edit videos using text, images, audio, and existing footage.
The company also introduced new AI tools for Shorts, including the ability to let users use AI to restyle videos, insert themselves into clips, and create new versions of other creators’ content.
According to YouTube, the new changes are designed to balance transparency with creator control, and do not change how a video is recommended or whether it can be monetized.
“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 company said.
