YouTube explains its AI slop policy and why some creators won't get paid

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We're currently living in the era of AI-generated slop — slop was even Merriam-Webster's word of the year in 2025. It's easier than ever for content creators to simply turn a prompt into a YouTube video, which has led to an update in the video sharing site's channel monetization policies. In a recent interview for Creator Insider, YouTube's VP of Trust & Safety Matt Halprin discussed how the site will be restricting AI content within the YouTube Partner Program.

The amount of AI content being produced for YouTube is staggering: last year, The Guardian reported that about one in 10 of the fastest growing YouTube channels were centered around AI. Despite the growing trend, data shows that most people want just the opposite. According to Fortune, a recent poll found that only 26 percent of those surveyed have a positive view on AI. Unfortunately, much like LinkedIn's recent AI policy updates, there's some nuance when it comes to whether these YouTube policy changes mean banning AI slop entirely.

Don't expect YouTube to be devoid of AI any time soon — Halprin states in his interview that YouTube is "agnostic" about which tools creators use to make their content. As part of the policy change, the verbiage has been changed from "repetitious content" to "inauthentic content" to emphasize the importance that anyone in the Partner Program — even those using AI — are putting effort and creativity into their videos. Instead of being a full ban on generative content, the new YPP rules are meant to help creators better understand what they need to do to keep their AI content on the platform.

The policy calls out three specific types of AI content that will be removed from YouTube. Generic and repetitive videos (especially those that are clearly content farming), off-putting and distressing content such as animals in peril and what Halprin calls "AI personas" that dish out advice on matters like finances and other serious topics are all banned. Halprin emphasizes that these rules are separate from the general community guidelines that all uploaders must follow, like no nudity or hate speech; these changes only affect those wishing to monetize AI-generated videos.

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Though YouTube has introduced automatic AI detection, there's still a chance that some videos slip through the cracks. With ever-advancing AI technology becoming increasingly difficult to recognize, it can make your YouTube home page feel like a minefield. Sometimes, it's very obvious that a video is AI-generated. It's easy to spot when a video is absurdly unrealistic, like a baby saving a puppy from a fire, and at this point most people know to check how many fingers everyone has, but it's not always so evident at first glance.

If you're suspicious a video you've encountered is AI-generated, take a look at the length. The longer the video, the higher the chance that the AI will make an identifiable mistake, meaning many creators will stick to shorter clips. Quality can be another warning sign for similar reasons — in a video made to look like it's shot from far away or with a lower-quality camera, any inconsistencies are harder to spot, making it a frequent tactic for AI creators.

Funnily enough, the opposite can also be a telltale sign of AI: videos that look hyper-realistic and feature people with perfectly coiffed hair, airbrushed skin, and symmetrical faces are another red flag, especially if their appearance doesn't make sense in context (like a protest or war scene). Even the most realistic AI is bound to make some mistakes when it comes to things like perspective and physics. Things like shadows that don't make sense (or are nonexistent), jewelry that hangs oddly, and messed up reflections can also be a giveaway. Hopefully YouTube will eventually roll out a way to filter AI videos out of your feed entirely, but until then, these tips can help you spot the slop.