YouTube Introduces Opt-In AI Training For Video Creators

YouTube is introducing a new feature that allows creators to opt in and permit third-party companies to use their videos for training AI models. By default, the feature is turned off, requiring creators to actively choose to participate.

Within the YouTube Studio dashboard, creators can access a new setting to enable this feature. From there, they can authorize specific third-party companies to train AI models using their videos.

TechCrunch reports that the initial list includes 18 companies: AI21 Labs, Adobe, Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, ByteDance, Cohere, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Perplexity, Pika Labs, Runway, Stability AI, and xAI.

YouTube says these companies were selected because they are building generative AI models and represent logical partners for such collaborations, as reported by TechCrunch.

Alternatively, creators can select an option to allow “All third-party companies,” granting permission to any third party to train on their videos, even if the company isn’t on the list.

TechCrunch reports that the feature is available to eligible creators who have access to YouTube Studio Content Manager with an administrator role. Creators can view or adjust these settings at any time through their YouTube Channel settings.

While the new setting controls third-party access, YouTube clarified to TechCrunch that Google will continue to train its own AI models on certain YouTube content, as outlined in its existing agreements with creators.

The update does not change YouTube’s Terms of Service, which already prohibit unauthorized third-party access to creator content, such as scraping. YouTube emphasized that the default opt-out setting makes it clearer to third parties that training AI models on videos without explicit permission violates creators’ preferences.

However, the company could not confirm whether the new setting would have any retroactive effect on AI model training that has already occurred. YouTube reiterated that its Terms of Service prohibit third parties from accessing content without proper authorization, as reported by TechCrunch.