As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I, Charlie Chang from sunny Santa Ana, poured countless hours into creating and sharing finance videos on YouTube for years. Eventually, the persistence paid off, and I finally saw profits roll in.
Currently, Chang manages over fifty YouTube channels, plus various digital platforms, yielding an estimated annual income of between $3 million and $4 million, according to his statement.
Recently, however, he’s found himself grappling with a fresh challenge: the fear that advancements in AI by YouTube could potentially impact his company negatively.
Chang, at 33, admitted to having some apprehension and working on alternative routes, as he’s unsure about the longevity of his YouTube channels. He stated, ‘I may not always be creating YouTube channels.’
Google, YouTube’s parent company, is utilizing a segment of videos from the platform for training artificial intelligence applications like its text-to-video tool Veo. This practice involves videos created by users who have established their careers on the service, thereby contributing to YouTube becoming the leading streaming entertainment provider in the U.S.
The action has led to significant friction developing between the world’s largest online video platform and certain creators who played crucial roles in its growth. According to these creators, Google is employing their data to develop a potential rival.
At a crucial moment, Google faces a split, as it competes fiercely with companies such as Meta, OpenAI, and Runway for leadership in the market that caters to AI-powered video content. Google holds an edge due to YouTube’s vast video archive, boasting over 20 billion videos uploaded onto the platform by April.
Concerned artists fear that these tools might allow others to mimic the distinctive styles seen in their video content, simply by inputting text prompts which could generate images or ideas akin to those produced by renowned creators. The worrying question is, what if AI-generated videos were to gain more recognition than the original work? Creators express anxiety as they feel they have no choice but to participate in AI training and receive no compensation when their videos are utilized for such purposes, often by companies like Google.
Kathleen Grace, a past YouTube employee now serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at Vermillio in Chicago, expressed her disappointment: “It’s disheartening for me since I was integral to this creator economy, and it’s being taken apart by the very company that constructed it.” She believes they should “stand up against them, like protesters with pitchforks outside San Bruno.
YouTube, established in 2005, originally thrived on users sharing various types of content. Initially, the videos uploaded by creators had a homemade quality. However, over time, the creators improved their skills and professionalism, resulting in more intricate performances and the hiring of teams to assist with their productions.
One way to rephrase the given text while maintaining its original meaning could be: “YouTube’s initial success was largely due to its commitment to supporting video creators. By partnering with them and sharing ad revenues, which can be substantial, the company based in San Bruno, California has managed to retain the loyalty of its creators. As their audiences expanded, this led to an increase in advertising revenue for both YouTube and the creators themselves.
As a dedicated content creator, I’m proudly self-employed, not an employee of YouTube or Google. Instead, I’ve managed to establish my own business by sharing my videos, earning income from ads, brand collaborations, and merchandise sales. The creator economy, which I’m part of, is a beacon of hope amid the challenges faced in the entertainment industry. Last year alone, it’s estimated that YouTube’s creative ecosystem supported over 490,000 jobs in the U.S., as shared by YouTube using data from Oxford Economics. Intriguingly, YouTube holds a larger share of U.S. television viewership than Netflix and the combined channels of The Walt Disney Company, according to Nielsen.
Hollywood Inc.
Dan Neely’s firm, Vermillio, which specializes in assisting businesses within the entertainment industry in monitoring deepfakes, has decided to offer its technology freely to the general public.
YouTube announced that they have distributed over $70 billion to content creators, artists, and media firms between the years 2021 and 2023.
The business motivates content creators and movie makers to leverage Google’s artificial intelligence resources for ideation and video production, potentially speeding up and optimizing their workflow. Some creators mentioned using AI to refine ideas, reduce expenses, and present daring concepts.
YouTube is working on tools to recognize and handle AI-created content that imitates creators’ appearances, and they have updated their privacy policy so users can ask for the removal of such AI-generated content depicting them on the platform, according to a company representative named Jack Malon.
According to Malon’s statement, YouTube thrives thanks to the success of its creators. The partnership that has distributed billions to the creator economy is fueled by ongoing innovation, such as the technology behind recommendation systems and new AI tools. We’ve consistently used YouTube data to improve these systems, and we are dedicated to developing tech that increases opportunities while setting industry standards for AI safeguards against misuse.
As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but notice that some creators are encountering difficulties due to others leveraging AI to mimic their channels. This duplicate work is not only eroding their financial resources through decreased revenue, but also affecting their hard-earned reputation and brand identity.
Cory Williams, a 44-year-old creator from Oklahoma who produces the well-known YouTube character Silly Crocodile, stated that they are being trained using material we’ve made, but we aren’t receiving any compensation for our assistance in the process.
In some instances, individuals are utilizing AI technology to fabricate realistic depictions of content creators, pretending to be them for the purpose of communicating with their fans, as stated by Grace Vermillio.
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When individuals post videos on YouTube, they consent to the platform’s terms of service, thereby permitting YouTube and its partners to utilize their content without payment (royalty-free).
Many content creators were unaware that their YouTube videos were being utilized by Veo for training until they learned about it through news articles. Melissa Hunter, CEO of Family Video Network – a consulting firm specializing in family-oriented creators – mentioned that tools like Veo weren’t available when she agreed to YouTube’s terms of service several years ago.
In the year 2012, Hunter’s young son, who was 8 years old at the time, expressed a desire to start a YouTube channel with his mother. Fast forward to present day, now 22, Hunter’s son is opposed to AI due to environmental concerns. As a result, Hunter chose to make those earlier videos private. However, she voiced her worry that even though they are hidden from public view, these videos might have been utilized by Veo without her explicit consent, as Google may still be able to access them.
Hunter expressed that he finds the situation disappointing and unpleasant, and at the same time, feels powerless to make any changes.
As a dedicated content creator on YouTube, I’ve found success in growing my audience on this platform run by Google. Although other social media outlets like TikTok and Instagram offer similar opportunities, the thought of leaving behind the community I’ve nurtured here makes me hesitant.
Jake Tran, a 27-year-old creator of documentary videos on money, power, war, and crime on YouTube, stated that despite the platform potentially being challenging for monetization and fan building, creators should not abandon ship due to Google utilizing it to develop their AI. Instead, they might consider persevering since this could be the optimal venue to earn income and garner dedicated followers.
Hollywood Inc.
Amidst the competitive landscape of Hollywood, both cast and crew are increasingly securing opportunities within the thriving ecosystem headed by creators. These creators primarily generate content for platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
In the past year, I’ve managed to generate approximately a million dollars in revenue through my YouTube business. Besides being the founder, I oversee a skin-care company based in Scottsdale, Arizona called Evil Goods. Combined, these ventures provide employment for about 40 to 45 part-time and full-time staff members.
Various AI companies like Meta and OpenAI are facing criticism from copyright owners who claim these companies are using their intellectual property to develop AI models without proper authorization. For instance, Disney and Universal Pictures took legal action against an AI business named Midjourney in June for alleged copyright infringement. However, some tech executives argue that they should be permitted to educate AI models with content accessible online under the principle of “fair use.” This principle permits restricted duplication of material without seeking permission from the copyright owner.
Some legal experts think creators might have a case if they decided to take their issue to court.
Mark Lezama, a partner at law firm Knobbe Martens, stated, “It could be debated that by accepting the terms of service, users have not necessarily given YouTube or Google permission for AI training. This is a point that could potentially be contested in court.” Essentially, he’s suggesting there are valid arguments on either side of the debate.
Hollywood Inc.
Google is financing brief movies exploring the advantages of artificial intelligence, rather than focusing on apocalyptic AI storylines.
Eugene Lee, the CEO of ChannelMeter – a business specializing in data and transactions within the creator community – stated his conviction that creators will triumph primarily through embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI), rather than by battling against it.
As a movie enthusiast, I wholeheartedly endorse the adoption of advanced tools like script and thumbnail generators by creators. They should seize these opportunities promptly and integrate them into their creative process. These innovations might demand an initial investment of time, resources, and finances, but they can significantly streamline workloads in the long run.
Nate O’Brien, a financial content creator based in Philadelphia, predicts that his earnings might remain stable or decrease somewhat due to the increased difficulty in attracting attention on YouTube.
O’Brien stated, “It basically comes down to numbers in that context. However, my belief is that for the time being, a human creating a video will generally outperform or be ranked higher than one made by an AI. But that could shift in a few more years.
To advance in creating AI content, O’Brien has been trying out AI for his video content on one of his channels. He asks his assistant to use an existing script from a different channel and have the AI generate the voiceover. Although human-created videos are still more popular with viewers, AI-produced videos require less production cost. One such video managed to attract 5,000 views, according to 27-year-old O’Brien.
Certain content creators have chosen to collaborate with external AI firms by providing access to their video collections in return for monetary remuneration. For instance, Aaron de Azevedo, who manages 20 YouTube channels based in Salt Lake City, disclosed that he shared about 30 terabytes of video clips as part of a deal with an AI company, receiving approximately $9,000 in return.
De Azevedo, who is 40 years old, stated that it was a substantial amount of money. It was beneficial as it covered the majority of his wedding expenses.
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2025-08-28 13:31