• Google is using YouTube’s vast video library to train AI models like Veo 3, sparking concerns about transparency, creator consent, and intellectual property rights. While the company claims to have protections in place, many creators feel vulnerable as their content is leveraged without clear opt-out options.

LOS ANGELES, CA — Google is leveraging its extensive library of YouTube videos to train its artificial intelligence (AI) models, including the recently unveiled Gemini and Veo 3, a video and audio generator. This groundbreaking approach raises critical questions about intellectual property rights, transparency, and the future of digital content creation. The move has drawn both excitement and concern from creators, legal experts, and advocates, highlighting the complex relationship between technology and creativity.

Google’s AI Training and Its Impact on Creators

Google confirmed to CNBC that it is using a subset of YouTube’s vast collection of 20 billion videos to train its AI models. While the company states it honors agreements with creators and media companies and applies “robust protections,” many creators are unaware their content is being used for this purpose. This revelation has sparked debate about the ethical implications of AI training and the potential challenges it poses to creators’ livelihoods.

“We’ve always used YouTube content to make our products better, and this hasn’t changed with the advent of AI,” a YouTube spokesperson said. “We also recognize the need for guardrails, which is why we’ve invested in protections that allow creators to safeguard their image and likeness in the AI era.”

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Despite these assurances, creators and intellectual property advocates argue that the lack of transparency has left them vulnerable. YouTube’s terms of service grant the platform a broad license to user content, enabling it to use videos for purposes such as AI training. However, users have no way to opt out of this process when it comes to Google’s internal models like Veo 3.

The Scale of AI Training on YouTube Content

With an average of 20 million videos uploaded daily, YouTube’s catalog represents a treasure trove of data for AI training. Experts estimate that training on even 1% of the platform’s content would amount to 2.3 billion minutes of material—over 40 times the data used by competing AI models. The sheer scale of this operation has raised concerns about the potential for exploitation, especially as AI-generated content increasingly competes with human creators.

“It’s plausible that they’re taking data from a lot of creators who’ve put time and energy into these videos,” said Luke Arrigoni, CEO of Loti, a company specializing in protecting digital identities. “It’s helping the Veo 3 model create a synthetic version—a poor facsimile—of these creators. That’s not necessarily fair to them.”

Balancing Innovation and Creator Rights

The use of YouTube videos to train AI tools like Veo 3 could redefine the entertainment industry, with AI-generated content achieving cinematic quality. In May, Google showcased Veo 3’s capabilities with scenes featuring lifelike animation and audio, such as an elderly man on a boat and Pixar-style animals conversing. While some creators see this technology as an exciting opportunity, others worry it could undermine their work.

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“I try to treat it as friendly competition more so than adversaries,” said Sam Beres, a YouTube creator with 10 million subscribers. “It’s kind of an exciting inevitable.”

However, the legal and ethical implications are far from resolved. Vermillio, a company that helps protect creators’ likenesses, has challenged AI platforms for allegedly infringing on intellectual property. CEO Dan Neely noted that tools like Veo 3 could accelerate the proliferation of “fake” versions of creators, further complicating the issue.

Neely’s proprietary tool, Trace ID, analyzes AI-generated content for overlaps with human-created material. In one case, a YouTube video from creator Brodie Moss closely matched content generated by Veo 3, with significant overlap in both video and audio.

The Growing Push for Regulation

Lawmakers and advocates are calling for greater accountability in the use of AI technologies. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) emphasized the need to protect creators and individuals from unauthorized use of their likenesses during a Senate hearing earlier this year.

“The people who are losing are the artists and creators and the teenagers whose lives are upended,” Hawley said. “We’ve got to give individuals powerful enforceable rights … or this is just never going to stop.”

In December, YouTube announced a partnership with Creative Artists Agency to help top talent manage AI-generated content that features their likeness. The platform also allows creators to opt out of third-party AI training from select companies like Amazon and Nvidia, but this option does not extend to Google’s internal models.

What’s Next for Creators and AI?

As AI continues to reshape industries from entertainment to education, the question remains: How can innovation coexist with fairness and accountability? For creators, transparency and consent are key to ensuring their work is respected and valued in this new era.

This story is a reminder of the importance of civic engagement in shaping the future of technology. Readers, what do you think about YouTube’s use of creator content for AI training? Share your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation.

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