So, YouTube just dropped a memo: starting today (July 15, 2025!), they're getting serious about monetizing AI content. They're targeting "mass-produced, repetitious, or inauthentic" stuff. Sounds reasonable, right? Nobody wants a feed full of digital "slop." But here's the thing, this is a total double-edged sword. While we need to fight spam, this move could accidentally hurt genuine creativity.
Seriously, AI Makes Art!
Amazing art is being created with AI. We're talking "Portrait of Edmond de Belamy," selling for a fortune, or "The Next Rembrandt" fooling art lovers. Artists are pushing boundaries with AI-driven visuals and music.
For example, Kelly Boesch- https://youtube.com/shorts/4ygJeTk3azM?si=Gn6HuTr_sS9p_oH9
Bad Content Existed BEFORE AI (and Moderation is… a Hot Mess)
Horrible content existed way before AI, pure human-made mess. Platforms have always struggled to clean up, often flagging innocent content while letting truly disturbing stuff slide. They rely on overworked moderators and flaky AI that even they admit isn't perfect. Trying to filter new content by its AI origin is tough when your basic "bad content" filter has always been a bit leaky.
AI lets anyone produce content at a crazy scale and for pennies. AI cuts production time and cost dramatically, leading to an overwhelming "tsunami of stuff" that floods the platform. The issue isn't the AI, it's the volume of low-effort junk it enables.
So, why try to flag AI content directly? Simple: it’s incredibly hard to do accurately. AI detection tools have high error rates, often flagging human work by mistake.
Let’s Get Smart: Focus on Value, Not Tools
YouTube's aim for quality is great, but targeting AI by itself is a misstep. The problem isn't AI, it's spam at scale. Instead of asking how content was made, YouTube should focus on its value, originality, and actual effort. If it's truly low-effort, mass-produced junk, then yes, ding it. But if AI helped a brilliant artist create something unique, that's a win for everyone.
By prioritizing genuine value and fighting volume-based spam, YouTube can embrace AI as an awesome creative tool, not a digital villain. It's time for a smarter approach, don't you think?
