YouTube has devised a new feature, the "captured with a camera" label, to address the growing concerns over AI-generated content.
This feature aims to gain viewers' trust and support genuine creators by highlighting the difference between real and AI-altered content.
The "captured with a camera" badge means more than an inscription. It informs all users that YouTube is taking the integrity of all uploads seriously. The badge will help creators label their uploaded videos as maintaining original audio and visual quality, free from AI enhancements. It turns out to be part of a grander plan by YouTube in terms of building trust within its users.
Videos will qualify for this authenticity label only if their creators use cameras and recording devices supporting the C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) standard, specifically version 2.1 and higher.
As for what will qualify, only unedited footage will make the grade, thus creating even greater pressure for authentic content.
YouTube's new labeling system works in a way that places metadata at the moment of upload. If a video meets all the qualification criteria, the platform itself will highlight the "captured with a camera" label in the expanded description.
This will be able to give users the power of choice and responsibility over what they would see on the service, hence boosting their trust in it.
It is not branded for every video created. If the video has been so transformed that the original source cannot be traced, then the label will not be assigned. The service recommends that content creators maintain the core components of what they are sharing, like images and audio, to qualify for the label.
YouTube also plans to introduce labeling for AI-generated content and asks creators to declare when they make use of AI to create their videos. The company is working towards establishing systems to protect creators against unauthorized AI copies and to promote genuine content.
The ‘Captured with Camera’ feature is of high importance in times when AI is being used to create deepfake images and even porn, harming individuals for two seconds of sensationalism. In a recent case involving Telegram, the South Korean government found deepfake pornography circulating on the platform. It was exposed during the investigation that a group of university students used AI to create pornographic images with the faces of their female classmates without their permission. Read more
The rollout of the "captured with a camera" label brings a huge step that YouTube is taking toward authenticity and transparency in video content. In this regard, it not only empowers creators but also enhances the viewing experience by assuring audiences that the content they enjoy is genuine and trustworthy.