YouTube tightens monetisation rules to block AI-generated content

YouTube has announced plans to revise its monetisation policies under the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), tightening restrictions on creators who publish 'inauthentic' or mass-produced content. The changes, set to take effect from 15 July, are aimed at clarifying longstanding rules around what content is eligible for revenue generation.

According to an update in YouTube’s Help documentation, the platform has always required creators to produce “original” and “authentic” videos. The forthcoming policy revision will offer more explicit guidance on what constitutes inauthentic content in the current digital landscape, particularly as generative AI tools have made it easier to create large volumes of repetitive or reused media.

While the full language of the revised policy has yet to be published, YouTube has emphasised that the update is not intended to restrict formats such as reaction videos or content featuring clips from other sources. In a video posted on Tuesday, YouTube’s Head of Editorial and Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie described the changes as a “minor update,” intended to improve enforcement of existing standards.

Ritchie explained that mass-produced and repetitive content has long been ineligible for monetisation, as it is typically viewed as spam by audiences. The platform says the update will help improve transparency for creators and enable more accurate enforcement of monetisation rules.

The move comes amid growing concern over the volume of low-quality, AI-generated content, often referred to as 'AI slop', that has spread across the platform. In recent months, YouTube has seen a rise in videos created using text-to-video AI tools, voice synthesis, and deepfake technology. Some of these videos, including fabricated news reports and fully AI-generated series, have attracted millions of views.

Earlier this year, 404 Media reported that a viral true crime series on YouTube was found to be entirely AI-generated. In another case, a deepfake video featuring YouTube CEO Neal Mohan was used in a phishing scam on the platform, despite existing tools for reporting manipulated media.

The platform has not confirmed whether any mass enforcement actions are planned following the policy change, but the update signals a renewed effort to regulate the quality and originality of content monetised through YouTube’s official programme.