YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced the platform will embrace AI-generated content in 2026, including a new tool for creators to make Shorts using their own AI-generated likeness. The company also highlighted its no-code Playables platform and new music creation tools, all powered by AI.

Mohan acknowledged the ongoing problem of deepfakes and reaffirmed YouTube's support for the NO FAKES Act. The platform is simultaneously improving its systems to combat spam and low-quality AI content, while citing strong user adoption of its existing AI autodubbed video feature.

While a specific launch date for the likeness tool wasn't provided, YouTube is giving users more control. Creators can already use a detection feature to protect their likeness, and viewers can now omit Shorts from their search results entirely, offering a way to avoid the coming wave of AI-generated clips.