YouTube is stepping up its efforts to protect creators and celebrities from unauthorised use of their digital likenesses. The platform has announced a collaboration with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to develop tools that allow creators to identify and manage AI-generated versions of their faces, voices, and other attributes.
These tools will enable celebrities, athletes, and eventually YouTube creators to find content using their AI-generated likenesses and submit removal requests directly. Testing will begin early next year with a select group of celebrities and athletes before expanding to include top creators, creative professionals, and other CAA talent partners.
Tools to protect creators’ identities
In September, YouTube announced plans to tackle AI-generated depictions of creators, promising tools to help manage and remove these unauthorised imitations. Now, the company is moving closer to making this a reality, allowing creators to oversee how their digital likenesses are being used at scale.
The collaboration builds on technology introduced by CAA last year. Their system, called CAAVault, scans and securely stores clients’ digital profiles, capturing details such as faces, bodies, and voices. With this partnership, YouTube will integrate similar technology to support a broader range of creators, allowing them to track and control their likenesses online.
Tackling AI-generated singing and content labelling
In addition to managing visual likenesses, YouTube is working on advanced systems to detect AI-generated singing. Their new “synthetic-singing identification technology” is designed to find and remove AI content that mimics creators’ or artists’ singing voices without permission.
YouTube has already begun allowing music labels to request the removal of AI content simulating artists’ voices. Earlier this year, the platform also introduced new requirements for creators to label videos containing AI-generated content. This move aims to ensure greater transparency and accountability while protecting the intellectual property of artists and creators alike.
As AI technology becomes increasingly advanced, platforms like YouTube are under pressure to find effective ways to safeguard digital identities. By partnering with CAA and leveraging innovative tools, YouTube hopes to set a standard for managing AI-generated content in the entertainment and creative industries.
