YouTube CEO unveils "next decade" of creation with AI-powered tools and platform upgrades

In a major event signaling its commitment to the creator economy, YouTube today announced a suite of new AI-powered tools and platform innovations. At its "Made On YouTube" conference, CEO Neal Mohan revealed that the platform has paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies globally in the last four years, underscoring its role as not just a platform, but a vibrant economic engine.

AI Tools to Supercharge Shorts and Creative Workflow

YouTube is leaning heavily into AI to make content creation more accessible. New features for its short-form video format, Shorts, include:

"Edit with AI": A new tool that helps transform raw footage into a first draft video.

"Speech to song": A fun new feature that turns video dialogue into a catchy soundtrack for Shorts.

Mohan emphasized that AI is meant to empower, not replace, human creativity, stating, "no studio, network, tech company, or AI tool will own the future of entertainment. That power belongs to you – the creators."

In YouTube Studio, the platform is adding a suite of tools to streamline the creative process, including:

A/B testing for video titles: A new feature that allows creators to test multiple titles to see which performs best.

"Create Collaborations": A tool to help creators work together and expand their reach.

Likeness detection tool: An expansion of a current beta, this tool will soon be available to all YouTube Partner Program creators, allowing them to detect and manage videos made with AI that use their facial likeness.

Live Streaming Gets Its "Largest Upgrade Ever"

Highlighting the growing importance of live content, which accounts for over 30% of daily logged-in YouTube viewing, the company announced its biggest live-streaming overhaul yet. The updates are designed to help creators better connect with audiences and monetize their live content.

New Features for Artists and Brands

YouTube is also introducing new features to foster deeper connections between artists and their fans on YouTube Music, including the ability to pre-save new releases and countdown to their launch. Artists will also be able to reward top fans with exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

Finally, the platform is making it easier for creators to partner with brands. New tools for brand deals and Shopping include:

Shorts links: A new feature that will allow Shorts creators to add a direct link to a brand's website for sponsored content.

AI-powered product tagging: A new system that will automatically identify and tag products mentioned in a video, simplifying the process for creators and making shopping easier for viewers.