Google to allow users to request removal of AI-generated deepfakes from YouTube

Google will allow users to request the removal of AI-generated or other synthetic or altered content that simulates an identifiable individual, including their face or voice from YouTube in time to come, the company said.

Google has also made progress on tools to detect synthetic audio by training a classifier that can detect such content with nearly 99% accuracy, the company’s vice president of government affairs and public policy for Google Asia Pacific Michaela Browning said.

“In the coming months, YouTube will require creators to disclose altered or synthetic content that is realistic, including using AI tools, and we will inform viewers about such content through labels in the description panel and video player. We're committed to working with creators before this rolls out to make sure they understand the new requirements,” Browing said in her blog.


The company said it is also collaborating with the Indian government for a “multi-stakeholder discussion” which aligns with its commitment to addressing of deep fake and synthetic content and ensuring a responsible approach to artificial intelligence.

“By embracing a multistakeholder approach and fostering responsible AI development, we can ensure that AI's transformative potential continues to serve as a force for good in the world,” Google said in the blog post.

Last week, the union minister for electronics and information technology Ashwini Vaishnaw and the minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar had met senior executive from social media and internet intermediaries, including Google to discuss the issue of deepfakes on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Following the meeting, Vaishnaw said that the government would come out with new regulations for deep-fake, while Chandrasekhar said that the companies had been asked to “align” their user service agreements to ensure that users were informed upfront about the perils of making, storing, hosting or sharing deepfake or synthetically created and altered content.