YouTube Shorts rolls out AI avatars that clone creators

In short: YouTube Shorts is rolling out a feature that lets creators make an AI-made avatar that looks and sounds like them and use it in short videos.

What happened

YouTube Shorts is adding a new AI feature that lets creators create a digital version of themselves, which YouTube calls an avatar. Think of it like a stand-in actor that can appear on camera even when you are not filming.

To make an avatar, creators have to record a “live selfie” that captures their face and voice while following on-screen instructions. YouTube says good lighting and a quiet room help, like taking a clear passport photo but with your voice too.

After that, creators can choose “make a video with my avatar” and type prompts to generate a clip. Reports say these generated clips can be up to eight seconds long. Creators can also add their avatar to certain existing Shorts, although YouTube did not say what makes a Short “eligible.”

YouTube says the feature has limits. Avatars can only be used in the creator’s own original videos, and creators can decide whether others can remix their Shorts. Creators can delete their avatar at any time, and avatars not used for three years will be automatically deleted.

YouTube also says avatar videos will be clearly marked as AI-generated, including visible watermarks and digital labels such as SynthID and C2PA (tags that try to show where media came from).

Why it matters

This makes it easier for anyone with a YouTube channel to create realistic “you” videos, which could help creators post more often. It also raises familiar worries about deepfakes (videos that convincingly mimic a real person), especially on a platform that has already been dealing with impersonation scams and low-quality AI content.

Source: The Verge AI