YouTube Allows Creators to Opt In for Third-Party AI Training

YouTube is giving creators the option to allow third-party companies to use their videos for AI model training. Importantly, this feature is turned off by default, meaning creators must actively choose to allow their content to be used.

For creators and rights holders interested in enabling AI training, YouTube says this marks a step toward facilitating collaboration in the AI era. “We see this as an important first step in supporting creators and helping them realize new value for their YouTube content in the AI era,” wrote Rob, a Team YouTube staff member, in a support post.

How the New Setting Works

• The new opt-in feature will roll out in YouTube Studio over the next few days.

• Creators can choose to allow all third-party companies or select specific ones from a list.

• Unauthorized scraping of content will remain prohibited, YouTube confirmed.

According to TechCrunch, the initial list of approved third-party companies includes:

AI21 Labs, Adobe, Amazon, Anthropic, Apple, ByteDance, Cohere, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, Perplexity, Pika Labs, Runway, Stability AI, xAI.

YouTube spokesperson Jack Malon confirmed the list's accuracy, telling The Verge: “These companies were chosen because they’re building generative AI models and are likely sensible choices for a potential partnership with creators.”

Context Behind the Update 

The announcement comes amid growing concerns about AI companies scraping content for training purposes. Companies like OpenAI, Apple, and Anthropic have been reported to use YouTube videos and datasets to train their AI tools.

Meanwhile, Google itself already uses YouTube data for AI applications. “As we have for many years, we use content uploaded to YouTube to improve the product experience for creators and viewers across YouTube and Google, including through machine learning and AI applications,” the company said in September, when it first teased this new feature.

What This Means

For creators, this update offers an opportunity to collaborate with major AI companies if they choose to, while ensuring those uninterested remain unaffected. By making the opt-in optional, YouTube seems to be balancing creator autonomy with evolving AI demands.

As AI continues to advance, this feature could open new monetization and partnership possibilities for creators willing to explore how their content contributes to generative AI models. However, it also raises broader questions about content usage and intellectual property as AI technologies grow.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.