YouTube last week announced a number of new tools for creators making content on the platform, most of which - the Google company would like everyone to understand - are "AI-powered". Because, you know, if it's not AI-powered, what's the point?
Among them is a new tool called Dream Screen, which will begin testing later this year, and which aims to help users "to create AI-generated video or image backgrounds" for use in videos posted to YouTube Shorts.
"Ever wish you were filming in outer space?", asks a blog post announcing these new tools. "Trekking through an enchanted forest? Dreamt that your pug drove you to school? With Dream Screen, creators will be able to generate new, fantastic settings for their Shorts that are only limited by what they can imagine. We'll start to introduce Dream Screen to select creators before we roll out more broadly next year".
On top of that, there will be "AI-powered insights" that will "tap generative AI to spark video ideas and draft outlines to help creators brainstorm", and an "AI-powered dubbing tool" that will make it easier to make content available in other languages. AI will also be employed to help people make better use of Creator Music, YouTube's micro-licensing platform that allows professional creators to use commercially released music in their videos and still monetise their content.
"The future of creation on YouTube is bright as we start to see how AI-powered tools can help transform people’s dreams into reality", the blog post concludes, "and we can’t wait to see what gets made on YouTube next".
And neither can we. Although, given most of these new tools won't appear until sometime next year, we will have to wait a little longer to see how the power of AI impacts on all that content.
Toni Reid