YouTube is planning to let creators use AI versions of themselves in Shorts, according to CEO Neal Mohan’s annual letter released on Wednesday. He said creators will soon be able to make short-form videos using their own likeness, alongside other AI-powered tools for games, music, and content creation, with the emphasis that AI is meant to support creativity, not replace it.
Shorts is already one of YouTube’s biggest formats, averaging around 200 billion daily views, and the company is clearly doubling down on it. While YouTube hasn’t shared exactly how the AI likeness feature will work yet, it will build on existing tools, like AI-generated clips, stickers, auto-dubbing, and other generative features already available in Shorts.
Mohan also said that YouTube will introduce new controls that allow creators to manage how their likeness is used in AI-generated content. That ties into tools the platform launched last October, which help eligible creators detect and request the removal of AI videos that use their face or voice without permission.
At the same time, YouTube is trying to deal with what Mohan called the spread of low-quality “AI slop.” He said the company is strengthening its systems for detecting spam, clickbait, and repetitive content to keep Shorts feeds useful and watchable, even as generative tools become more common.
Beyond AI, YouTube is also expanding Shorts with new formats like image posts, similar to what’s already popular on TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Damilare Odedina
