YouTube is expanding its approach to artificial intelligence transparency by automatically labeling videos that feature significant photorealistic AI-generated content. While the platform introduced voluntary creator disclosures in 2024, it is now deploying new internal systems to identify such material without relying solely on user input. Starting this week, if YouTube's algorithms detect substantial AI manipulation in a video and the creator has not provided a manual disclosure, the platform will apply an AI label automatically. This initiative aims to balance transparency with creator control, addressing community demands for clarity regarding generative AI. Creators retain the ability to review and modify disclosure statuses through YouTube Studio if they believe their content was incorrectly flagged. However, these automatic labels may remain permanent in specific scenarios. This includes content created using YouTube's own AI tools, such as Veo or Dream Screen, as well as videos containing C2PA metadata, which indicates the material is fully AI-generated based on standards from the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity. Beyond automatic detection, YouTube is significantly improving the visibility of AI disclosures. Previously, labels for AI content were hidden within the expanded video description. Under the new guidelines, long-form videos will display the label directly beneath the video player and above the description. For YouTube Shorts, the label will appear as a persistent overlay on the video itself. Rene Ritchie, YouTube's head of editorial and creator liaison, stated that the goal is to provide context at a glance, ensuring viewers immediately understand if content looks real but was created with AI. Ritchie clarified that these labeling changes do not impact video recommendations or monetization eligibility. The updates are strictly informational, designed to give viewers accurate data about the nature of the content they are watching. For content classified as unrealistic, animated, or only slightly altered, disclosures will continue to appear only in the expanded description section. These changes follow an earlier expansion of YouTube's likeness-detection program to all creators aged 18 and older. This feature helps users detect and manage unauthorized AI depictions of their faces. Creators enrolled in the program can identify videos that may feature synthetic versions of their likeness and request the removal of such unauthorized content directly through YouTube Studio. These measures collectively represent a comprehensive effort by YouTube to maintain trust while adapting to the rapid advancement of generative AI tools.