YouTube Expands AI Features: Auto Dubbing, Age ID Tech Added

# ai # Google # YouTube # Creators

In his annual letter, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan pegged AI as one of the company's top four "big bets" for 2025. He spotlighted YouTube's hefty investments in AI tools designed to help creators with everything from sparking video ideas to crafting thumbnails and tackling language translation. The translation feature, Mohan mentioned, will be rolling out to all creators in the YouTube Partner Program this month. And there's another AI tool in the works that'll try to guess users' ages to tailor content and recommendations accordingly. Over the last year or so, YouTube's been busy introducing AI-powered features for creators, like whipping up images and video backgrounds, plus adding tunes to those quick short videos. But, you know, diving into AI for video creation hasn't been all sunshine and roses. There's been some pushback, with folks worried that a flood of low-quality AI-made content might water down what makes YouTube special. Yet, not everyone's on the same page here—some think AI's more like a handy assistant for video production, not a creativity killer. AI's also playing a role in helping creators connect with new crowds. Take auto dubbing, for instance—it's gonna let creators translate their videos into different languages without breaking a sweat. Mohan mentioned in his letter that this auto dubbing feature will be up for grabs for all YouTube Partner Program creators later this month. YouTube's also putting money into tools to keep an eye on and manage how AI's used on the platform. They're expanding a pilot program with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to let more folks use tech that can spot and handle AI-generated content that uses their image. Last fall, YouTube rolled out new AI detection tools to shield creators—think artists, actors, musicians, athletes—from having their faces or voices copied and slapped into other videos. They're beefing up their existing Content ID system, which sniffs out copyrighted stuff in videos, to also catch AI-made faces or voices. Mohan also touched on how YouTube will be using machine learning this year to take a stab at guessing users' ages, aiming to serve up age-appropriate content and recommendations. He didn't spill the beans on how they'll figure out ages or what they'll do if the AI messes up. But hey, it's not just YouTube—other social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and the like have been playing with age estimation and verification tech for a while now. Beyond AI, YouTube's got its eyes on other big moves for 2025. They're aiming to be the heart of culture (though some might say TikTok's already nabbed that spot), seeing YouTubers as the new Hollywood stars, and pushing hard on YouTube on TVs, which have now outpaced mobile as the go-to viewing device in the U.S. *TechCrunch has an AI-focused newsletter! Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Wednesday.*

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