The company said it will start using internal detection systems from May 2026 to identify videos containing what it described as “significant photorealistic AI” content.

When creators fail to disclose that material, YouTube will now add the label automatically.

The update also changes where viewers see those warnings. Instead of hiding them inside video descriptions, YouTube will place labels directly below long-form videos and over Shorts, making them easier to spot.

YouTube has required creators since 2024 to disclose content made with AI tools when videos could realistically be mistaken for real people, places or events. However, content that was clearly fictional, animated or unrealistic did not need the same treatment.

Now, the company says it wants a more reliable system as AI video tools become harder to distinguish from real footage.

“We’ve heard consistently from our community that they value transparency when it comes to generative AI content,” YouTube said.

“That’s why since 2024, we’ve been labeling content when creators disclose they’ve used AI tools.”

The platform said the policy itself has not changed, but enforcement is becoming more active as AI-generated video quality improves.

The announcement follows the launch of Google’s Gemini Omni models at the company’s developer conference last week. Google said the models can generate highly realistic videos while showing an understanding of subjects including physics, science, history and culture.

Under the new system, creators will still be expected to disclose AI-generated content themselves. However, YouTube explained it will step in when its systems detect realistic AI content that has not been labelled.

“If a creator doesn’t specify whether or not they used AI, but our systems detect significant photorealistic AI use, we will now automatically apply a label,” the company said.

Creators who believe their content was wrongly flagged will be able to update the disclosure status through YouTube Studio. Still, YouTube said labels will remain permanent in some situations.

That includes videos produced using YouTube’s own AI tools such as Veo and Dream Screen. The same applies to videos carrying C2PA metadata showing they were fully generated with AI systems.

C2PA is an industry standard designed to help identify AI-generated and digitally altered media. Companies including OpenAI, Nvidia, Kakao and Eleven Labs have backed the standard in recent months.

YouTube is also changing how labels appear across the platform.

For long-form videos, labels will now be directly below the video player and above the description section. On Shorts, viewers will see them as overlays on the video itself.

The company said labels for unrealistic or lightly edited AI content will still appear only inside the expanded description section.

“By moving these labels on to the main stage, viewers get the context they need at a glance,” YouTube said.

The changes align with YouTube’s expansion of other tools aimed at detecting manipulated content. The company recently increased access to its AI deepfake detection system, allowing adults to scan the platform for videos that may contain their likeness.

At the same time, YouTube continues adding AI features across its services, including AI-generated video summaries, playlist tools for YouTube Music, interactive search functions and creation tools for creators.

Despite the labelling system, YouTube said the presence of an AI label will not affect recommendations or whether creators can make money from their videos.

“It’s important to note that a disclosure label alone does not change how a video is recommended or whether it’s eligible to earn money,” the company said.

Standing at the podium, he described Gemini Omni as a world model, a system that does not merely process inputs and generate outputs, but builds an internal understanding of reality deep enough to simulate what should happen next within any scene it is given.

The ambition behind that description is not trivial. Earlier AI video tools, including Google’s own Veo series, were primarily trained to generate clips from text prompts. Gemini Omni works differently.

It accepts any combination of images, audio, existing video, and text, and outputs video that is grounded in Gemini’s real-world knowledge, including accurate simulation of physics, gravity, and motion.

Hand it a selfie and a prompt, and it does not just transform your appearance; it understands the light source, the implied space around you, and what the world behind you might logically contain.

Omni combines Gemini’s reasoning engine with DeepMind’s generative media systems, including Veo and Genie, its game-world simulation platform.

Crucially, unlike earlier generation-only tools, Omni is built for editing through conversation.

Users can modify scenes, characters, and visual elements by simply describing what they want changed, no timeline, no export, no specialist skill required.

The model even carries SynthID digital watermarks on all output, a measure Google says will help address misinformation concerns.

“Gemini Omni can create anything from any input, it is a leap forward in world understanding, multimodality, and editing.”
– Google I/O 2026 Official Announcement

The first version, Gemini Omni Flash, is rolling out today through the Gemini app and Google Flow for AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers globally.

YouTube Shorts will receive Omni next week, while developer API access is expected in the coming weeks. A more capable version, simply called Gemini Omni, is in development for a later date.

What This Means for Nigeria

Nigeria’s creative economy, spanning Nollywood, Afrobeats music video production, social media content creation, and advertising, is one of Africa’s most dynamic.

Gemini Omni Flash arriving in YouTube Shorts Remix next week means that any Nigerian creator with a smartphone and a YouTube account will soon be able to edit and enhance their video content using conversational AI, at no additional cost.

For independent filmmakers and digital marketers working with lean budgets, this is a professional-grade tool arriving without a professional-grade price tag.