YouTube reports AI use among 72% of surveyed video posters
YouTube published findings from its Human Creativity and AI report on October 20. The company said 72% of surveyed video posters aged 14 to 44 use AI on videos or images. The cited Google and NRG survey covered 694 online people in the US in April 2026, so the figure is not a census of professional YouTube creators. More than two-thirds of respondents who post AI videos said they had included themselves in that content. YouTube described uses such as animating childhood photos and visualizing fashion designs.
THE BREAKDOWN
Ask a creator which AI tools they plan to use before approving a brand production scope. Distinguish routine editing from generating the talent's face or voice. Require written approval for synthetic likeness use, with named channels and a fixed usage term. Keep model-training permission separate from permission to publish the finished asset. The survey does not support a blanket claim that AI has cut creators' production costs, so buyers should negotiate from the actual work required.
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