Deadline reports The behavior of these creators is inconsistent with YouTube’s spam and misleading metadata policies. At the same time, Google loves generative AI, YouTube has added more ways for creators to use generative AI, and the company says more generative AI tools are coming in the future. It’s a tightrope for Google.
A selection of videos from the now defunct Screen Culture channel.
Credit: Ryan Whitwam
While passing off AI videos as original movie trailers is certainly undesirable behavior, recent changes in the legal landscape could also be a factor. Disney recently partnered with OpenAI, bringing its massive library of characters to the company’s Sora AI video app. Meanwhile, Disney sent A Cease and desist letter to Google demanding Remove Disney content from Google AI. The letter specifically cited artificial intelligence content on YouTube as a concern.
Both banned channels made heavy use of Disney properties, sometimes incorporating snippets of the real trailers. For example, Screen Culture created 23 AI trailers for The Fantastic Four: The First Stepssome of which beat the official trailer in searches. It’s not clear if either account used Google’s Veo Models to create the trailers, but Google’s AI will recreate the Disney characters without a problem.
While Screen Culture and KH Studio are the largest providers of AI movie trailers, they are not alone. Other channels have five- and six-figure subscriber counts, and some include disclosures about fan-generated content. Is that enough to save them from the hammer of the ban? Many YouTube viewers probably hope not.