YouTube is cracking down on 'AI slop' content but is still releasing deepfake tools for creators.

YouTube has just committed to tightening its control over low-quality AI content – ​​often referred to as 'AI slop' – while simultaneously announcing a series of new AI tools that will allow creators to create their own deepfakes .

 

In his annual blog post on YouTube, CEO Neal Mohan affirmed that the platform will step up its fight against 'AI slop,' as well as repetitive content, clickbait, and spam. According to him, YouTube already has robust systems in place to detect unwanted content and will continue to improve these tools throughout the year.

Mohan also cited ASMR and gameplay videos as prime examples of content that was once considered "weird" but has now become popular and widely accepted. This comparison suggests that YouTube may not set overly rigid standards, but instead handle content moderation on a case-by-case basis.

 

The explosion of AI has raised concerns about low-quality content, also known as 'AI slop'. As an open platform, we allow for many forms of free expression while ensuring YouTube remains a place where people feel comfortable and positive spending time.

Alongside tightening quality standards, YouTube also announced plans to expand AI tools for creators. Most notably, this includes a feature that allows creators to create Shorts videos using an AI version of themselves , which is essentially a controlled deepfake.

 

However, YouTube has not yet clearly explained how this deepfake tool will work in conjunction with the image forgery detection system (likeness detection) introduced last October. These two systems must be tightly compatible to avoid a situation where content created by the creator themselves is flagged as illegally deepfake.

Additionally, YouTube revealed that in December alone, over 1 million channels were using the platform's AI content creation tools daily. The company also has ambitious goals, planning to allow creators to 'create games with just a text command' and 'experiment with music composition' by 2026.

It's becoming a familiar trend for companies to simultaneously launch new AI tools and call for higher content quality standards. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella once argued that the only way for AI not to become a "bubble" is for it to create real value in users' lives .

However, a closer look reveals a much more complex story. The debate surrounding 'AI slop' is still raging, and most tech companies are currently trying to find a temporary balance, waiting for public opinion to shift more clearly and for society to reach a consensus on what constitutes legitimate content and what is simply 'AI garbage'.