GoKawiilThough YouTube has introduced automatic AI detection, there's still a chance that some videos slip through the cracks. With ever-advancing AI technology becoming increasingly difficult to recognize, it can make your YouTube home page feel like a minefield. Sometimes, it's very obvious that a video is AI-generated. It's easy to spot when a video is absurdly unrealistic, like a baby saving a puppy from a fire, and at this point most people know to check how many fingers everyone has, but it's not always so evident at first glance.
If you're suspicious a video you've encountered is AI-generated, take a look at the length. The longer the video, the higher the chance that the AI will make an identifiable mistake, meaning many creators will stick to shorter clips. Quality can be another warning sign for similar reasons — in a video made to look like it's shot from far away or with a lower-quality camera, any inconsistencies are harder to spot, making it a frequent tactic for AI creators.
Funnily enough, the opposite can also be a telltale sign of AI: videos that look hyper-realistic and feature people with perfectly coiffed hair, airbrushed skin, and symmetrical faces are another red flag, especially if their appearance doesn't make sense in context (like a protest or war scene). Even the most realistic AI is bound to make some mistakes when it comes to things like perspective and physics. Things like shadows that don't make sense (or are nonexistent), jewelry that hangs oddly, and messed up reflections can also be a giveaway. Hopefully YouTube will eventually roll out a way to filter AI videos out of your feed entirely, but until then, these tips can help you spot the slop.