YouTube users have to disclose altered content that looks realistic: Google

NEW DELHI: In a bid to tighten norms to tackle deepfakes, Google on Wednesday said content creators on YouTube will have to disclose any altered or synthetic content that they post on the platform.

Google said it will enable the removal of AI-generated or other synthetic or altered content on YouTube that simulates an identifiable individual, including their face or voice, using its privacy request process.

''In the coming months, YouTube will require creators to disclose altered or synthetic content that is realistic, including using AI tools, and we'll 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,'' Google said in a blog post.

The development comes within a week of Union cabinet minister for electronics and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw and minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar directing social media platforms to strictly act against deepfakes.

Vaishnaw had said that the government will come out with new guidelines to fight deepfakes and Chandrasekhar had asked social media firms to update their user policy as per the IT rules notified in October 2022.

Google said that there is no silver bullet to combat deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation.

''It requires a collaborative effort, one that involves open communication, rigorous risk assessment, and proactive mitigation strategies... Our collaboration with the Indian government for a multi-stakeholder discussion aligns with our commitment to addressing this challenge together and ensuring a responsible approach to AI,'' Google said.

Google said it has invested USD 1 million in grants to the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, to establish the first of its kind multidisciplinary center for Responsible AI.

The center will foster collective effort — involving not just researchers, but domain experts, developers, community members, policy makers and more – in getting AI right, and localizing it to the Indian context.

The government sprung into action after several celebrities reported about their deepfake images and videos in circulation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also flagged issues around deepfakes.

''We've heard continuous feedback from creators, viewers, and artists, about the ways in which emerging technologies could impact them. This is especially true in cases where someone's face or voice could be digitally generated without their permission or to misrepresent their points of view,'' the Google blog post said.