YouTube faces backlash for secret AI edits on Shorts videos without user consent

YouTube has confirmed it is experimenting with AI to edit some Shorts videos without first obtaining creators' consent. The platform acknowledges that machine learning is being used to unblur, denoise, and improve the clarity of selected videos, and compares these enhancements to those found in smartphone video features. However, creators have noticed subtle but impactful changes, such as sharper wrinkles in clothing, altered skin textures, and occasional warping of facial features. While some edits are difficult to detect without direct comparisons, several creators have reported that the alterations leave their videos looking artificial or unintended.

Building on these reports, YouTuber Rhett Shull contrasted identical videos on Instagram and YouTube Shorts, noting a distinct 'oil painting effect' on his face in the Shorts version. He and other creators have raised concerns about not being notified or allowed to opt out of these AI-driven changes.

Although YouTube’s head of editorial Rene Ritchie states that creator and viewer feedback will inform the experiment’s future, the platform has not clarified whether users will be able to disable AI edits, raising concerns from critics that undisclosed alterations may undermine trust in user-generated content and fuel doubts about YouTube’s transparency in how it processes and presents videos.