YouTube AI to automatically block videos that violate age restrictions

YouTube is the world's biggest source of online video, with more than 2 billion visitors monthly. YouTube will use machine learning to automatically apply age restrictions on videos, the Google-owned video site said Tuesday, widening its use of artificial intelligence to automate blocking some videos from viewers who either aren't signed into a YouTube account or are signed in as a viewer under the age of 18. Creators who believe their videos were blocked unfairly can appeal. YouTube said these automated age restrictions and some tweaks to what it categorizes as inappropriate for people under 18 will all "roll out over the coming months." Currently, YouTube has a human team that applies the age restrictions when it reviews a video that isn't appropriate for younger viewers. "Going forward, we will build on our approach of using machine learning to detect content for review, by developing and adapting our technology to help us automatically apply age restrictions," YouTube said.