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YouTube’s tool to track whether your face is being used in AI-generated content is now available for all channel owners over the age of 18.
The tool was first introduced in October last year to help creators in the YouTube Partner Program track instances of AI-generated content misusing their likeness. Last month, YouTube expanded the tool to include celebrities. YouTube now says it is rolling out the tool to all accounts, with a gradual release over the "coming weeks."
The tool monitors all of YouTube to identify where your likeness is used in AI-generated content across videos, so you can understand whether your identity is being used without your permission. You can then request the removal of the content directly in YouTube Studio to help protect your own reputation from viewers being misled by your face and voice.
When it arrives, you'll find the feature under Content detection > Likeness. You need to grant YouTube permission to use the technology and verify your identity. Verifying your identity means sharing a government-issued ID and a brief video of you speaking. YouTube says, “The selfie video is also used as a reference to enable the system to detect videos with your likeness.”
If there are videos on YouTube with an AI-generated version of you, you can expect them to be spotted and included on Studio. Those without their likeness being used will find the tool remains blank with YouTube confirming it's normal, saying, "this feature is continuing to work in the background to protect you.”
YouTube says this tool will sometimes surface real clips of you, with other channels perhaps using footage from your videos in their own content. YouTube refers to this as its “experimental phase,” suggesting it doesn’t intend to make real footage tracking a permanent feature. However, some creators may find it helpful to know where they’re being cited within the parameters of fair use.