YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has announced that creators will soon be able to produce Shorts using AI-generated versions of themselves. This move aims to enhance creative tools while addressing concerns over deepfakes and low-quality AI content. The platform views AI as a means of expression rather than a substitute for human creativity.
In his annual letter, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan outlined upcoming AI features for the platform, emphasizing their role in expanding creative possibilities. "This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt and experiment with music," Mohan wrote. He stressed that "throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement."
YouTube Shorts, the platform's short-form video format, attract roughly 200 billion daily views. The new AI likeness tool will allow creators to generate content featuring digital versions of themselves, though details on its implementation remain undisclosed. This builds on Google's September introduction of Veo 3, a generative AI tool for creating videos directly in Shorts, intensifying competition with platforms like TikTok.
Amid enthusiasm for AI innovation, Mohan acknowledged challenges posed by deepfakes and misleading content. "It's becoming harder to detect what's real and what's AI-generated," he noted, calling it "particularly critical when it comes to deepfakes." To counter this, YouTube introduced likeness-detection technology last fall to prevent unauthorized use of creators' faces or voices. The company supports legislation such as the NO FAKES Act and is enhancing systems to combat spam, clickbait, and low-quality AI content, which Mohan described as "AI slop."
Additional features include a beta no-code Playables platform using Gemini 3 for game creation via text prompts and new music tools. In December, an average of six million daily viewers watched more than 10 minutes of AI autodubbed content, indicating growing engagement despite quality concerns. YouTube continues to refine policies for its open platform to balance innovation with integrity.
