YouTube hardens AI policy but it includes a big exception

YouTube is making AI disclosures more prominent, with labels shown next to video titles and in Shorts.

The platform will also automatically scan and label unmarked videos with significant photorealistic or meaningfully AI-altered content.

The policy does not affect recommendations or monetization, and it applies only to the main YouTube app, not YouTube Kids.

Animated or highly stylized AI videos are excluded, leaving critics to call out gaps in child safety and misinformation control.