YouTube is putting AI labels where you’ll actually see them | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyNotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.NotificationsNotificationsHamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.YouTube is putting AI labels where you’ll actually see themNotificationsNotificationsComments DrawerNotificationsCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...StreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsYouTube is putting AI labels where you’ll actually see themAnd it’s going to be more proactive about identifying photorealistic AI videos.And it’s going to be more proactive about identifying photorealistic AI videos.by Jess WeatherbedCloseJess WeatherbedNews ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jess WeatherbedMay 27, 2026, 1:00 PM UTCLinkShareGiftThe labels are more prominent, and they actually say “AI” now. Image: YouTube / The VergeJess WeatherbedCloseJess WeatherbedPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jess Weatherbed is a news writer focused on creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess started her career at TechRadar, covering news and hardware reviews.In the wake of Google expanding its AI verification efforts at I/O, YouTube is now finally going to start taking AI labeling seriously. YouTube has announced that it’s relocating AI disclosures on Shorts and long-form videos to make them easier to spot and will start automatically identifying and labeling AI-generated content on the platform.For regular YouTube videos, the label — which says “AI” next to a recognizable information symbol — will now appear directly below the video player, above the description. Currently, this information is hidden on the videos themselves and can only be viewed by expanding the video description and checking under the “How this content was made” section, which requires people to proactively inspect every video description.For YouTube Shorts, that same AI label will also appear as an overlay on the video — YouTube has apparently been testing a variation of this label for some time. It also previously used an overlay on Shorts that flags if a video contains “altered or synthetic content.”I’ve pointed out that YouTube’s AI labeling practices have been inconsistent until now, so hopefully these updates will establish a system that the platform actually sticks with.RelatedDoes Big Tech actually care about fighting AI slop?YouTube is expanding its AI deepfake detection tool to all adult usersGoogle makes it easy to deepfake yourself“By moving these labels on to the main stage, viewers get the context they need at a glance,” YouTube said in its announcement. “This is now the single label format for all photorealistic and meaningfully AI altered or generated content on YouTube. For content that is unrealistic, animated, or slightly altered, viewers can find this disclosure in the expanded description.”YouTube is also further expanding its AI labeling efforts by… actually looking for more AI content. The video streaming platform says it’s rolling out “new internal signals” sometime this month that will help it to automatically identify and label AI-generated videos. YouTube says it still requires creators to manually disclose when they use photorealistic AI, but now if a creator doesn’t specify whether or not they used AI, an AI label will be applied automatically if YouTube’s systems “detect significant photorealistic AI use.”If video content is incorrectly flagged and labeled by YouTube, creators can update the disclosure status in YouTube Studio. That said, if the creator used YouTube’s AI tools like Veo or Dream Screen, or if the content contains C2PA metadata that indicates it was fully AI-generated, those AI disclosures will be permanent.YouTube already has automated systems in place to detect AI-generated and synthetically altered content using markers like C2PA and Google’s SynthID. So I guess now it’s committing to do a better job, at least for AI videos that are trying to mimic realistic humans and photorealistic environments. YouTube also says these changes aim to “make it as easy as possible for creators and viewers to have the right information” and that disclosure labels alone won’t impact monetization or recommendation algorithms.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Jess WeatherbedCloseJess WeatherbedNews ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Jess WeatherbedAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AIGoogleCloseGooglePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GoogleNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsStreamingCloseStreamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All StreamingTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechYouTubeCloseYouTubePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All YouTubeMost PopularMost PopularJony Ive’s Ferrari looks nothing like a FerrariUber president says AI spending is getting ‘harder to justify’Google Health is here, but a lot of people want their Fitbit app back insteadNvidia has retired its GeForce Control Panel app after 20 yearsYou’re about to feel the AI money squeezeThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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YouTube is actively implementing more visible and proactive labeling systems to identify artificial intelligence in its video content, focusing particularly on photorealistic AI videos. These updates aim to enhance transparency by placing AI disclosures in more noticeable locations. For regular YouTube videos, the label, which explicitly states "AI," will now appear directly below the video player and above the description. This contrasts with the previous system where this information was hidden within the video description, requiring viewers to manually inspect the "How this content was made" section. Furthermore, for YouTube Shorts, the AI label will appear as an overlay directly on the video itself, building upon previous testing involving flags for "altered or synthetic content."

YouTube asserts that this new system establishes a unified label format for all photorealistic and meaningfully AI altered or generated content on the platform. For content that is less realistic, animated, or slightly altered, viewers will still be able to find the disclosure within the expanded description. To further improve detection, YouTube is rolling out new internal signals this month designed to automatically identify and label AI-generated videos. While creators retain the option for manual disclosure regarding the use of photorealistic AI, the platform will automatically apply an AI label if its detection systems identify significant photorealistic AI usage. This process relies on the platform's existing automated systems that use markers such as C2PA and Google’s SynthID to detect AI-generated and synthetically altered content, and these new measures seek to improve the detection of content that mimics realistic humans and environments. The platform emphasizes that these disclosure labels are intended to provide viewers and creators with the necessary information without affecting monetization or recommendation algorithms.