YouTube is rolling out new rules for AI content, including a requirement that creators reveal whether they've used generative artificial intelligence to make realistic looking videos. In a blog post Tuesday outlining a number of AI-related policy updates, YouTube said creators that don't disclose whether they've used AI tools to make "altered or synthetic" videos face penalties including having their content removed or suspension from the platform's revenue sharing program. "Generative AI has the potential to unlock creativity on YouTube and transform the experience for viewers and creators on our platform," Jennifer Flannery O'Connor and Emily Moxley, vice presidents for product management, wrote in the blog post. "But just as important, these opportunities must be balanced with our responsibility to protect the YouTube community." The restrictions expand on rules that YouTube's parent company, Google, unveiled in September requiring that political ads on YouTube and other Google platforms using artificial intelligence come with a prominent warning label.

The Meta announcement cited specific uses of AI that advertisers will have to disclose. They include ads showing an actual person saying or doing something they didn't say or do; depicting a realistic-looking individual who doesn't exist or a realistic-looking event that didn't happen; or altering footage of a real event. Also barred are ads that show a "realistic event that allegedly occurred, but that is not a true image, video, or audio recording of the event."

That's prompted concerns from politicians and democracy activists that the tools could be made to trick voters or make it look like a political opponent said or did something they didn't. Google and Meta, which together account for a huge amount of online advertising real estate, have been under pressure for years to push back against false claims made on their platforms. Meta bans outright deepfakes as well.