Do I have to disclose AI-generated videos on YouTube?
Only when it looks real. YouTube requires you to disclose realistic AI-generated or altered content, such as a real person appearing to say something they did not or a realistic scene that never happened, and does not require it for clearly non-realistic content or minor edits[1].
What counts as altered or synthetic content
YouTube's test is whether a viewer could mistake the content for real. It names two core cases: making a real person appear to do or say something they did not, and generating a realistic scene that did not occur[1]. Content that is clearly unrealistic, and minor aesthetic edits, do not need the disclosure[1].
| Your video | Disclose? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A photoreal AI woman filmed as if on her phone in a real room | Yes | A realistic scene that did not occur[1] |
| An AI voice clone of a real person reading a script | Yes | A real person appearing to say something they did not[1] |
| A 3D-cartoon or anime character in a stylised world | Not required | Clearly non-realistic[1] |
| Your own footage with AI-generated captions or a colour grade | Not required | Minor edits[1] |
| Shorts made with YouTube's own generative tools, or files with C2PA metadata[1] | May be labelled automatically | YouTube applies the label itself[1] |
Our rule of thumb for our own channel: anything shot in our phone-camera "realistic" style gets disclosed, even when the character is invented, because the scene looks like it happened. Our low-poly 3D explainer character would not need it, though disclosing is never wrong.
How to disclose
- Upload the video in YouTube Studio as usual.
- Use YouTube's altered or synthetic content disclosure for that upload and mark it as realistic AI content[1].
- Publish. We could not verify every screen of the flow, so if the wording in Studio differs, look for the question about altered or synthetic content.
YouTube may also label a video on its own: content made with YouTube's generative AI tools, content whose file carries C2PA metadata, and content its systems detect as AI-generated[1]. A label that came from C2PA metadata cannot be adjusted by the creator[1].
What happens if you do not disclose
YouTube says creators who consistently fail to disclose may have a label added for them, may have content removed, or may be suspended from the YouTube Partner Program[1]. Against that, YouTube says that disclosing AI content does not by itself limit a video's audience or its eligibility to earn money[1]. There is no upside to skipping it.
Disclosure is a separate question from monetisation. A properly labelled AI channel can still be refused monetisation under the inauthentic-content policy if it looks mass-produced; that is covered in Can you monetize AI-generated videos on YouTube?. And if you publish to viewers in the EU, the AI Act has its own deepfake disclosure duty from 2 August 2026[2]; see Do AI videos need a label in the EU?.
Where Cast fits
- You want short vertical character videos for Shorts in either a realistic phone-camera style (disclose those) or a stylised one: Cast has 8 styles including anime and 3D toon.
- You want original characters rather than real people, which keeps you out of the hardest disclosure and likeness cases.
Where it does not:
- Uploading or labelling on YouTube for you: Cast does not post anywhere, so you answer the disclosure question yourself.
- Long-form YouTube videos: Cast clips are 5, 10 and 15 seconds; Katechon Arc (https://arc.katechon.technology/) is the multi-episode tool.
People also ask
- Do animated AI characters need a label on YouTube?
- Not if they are clearly non-realistic: YouTube does not require disclosure for unrealistic content[1]. A photoreal AI character in a realistic setting is a different case and should be disclosed.
- Does the AI label hurt views or monetisation?
- YouTube says disclosure alone does not limit a video's audience or its eligibility to earn money[1].
- Can I remove an AI label YouTube added?
- Not one that came from C2PA metadata in your file: YouTube says creators cannot adjust those[1].
- Do AI-generated Shorts need disclosure too?
- The same rule applies to Shorts and long videos: realistic AI content is disclosed, clearly unrealistic content is not required to be[1].
Sources
Claims about other companies come from their own pages, read on the date shown. Products and prices change; check the link for the current version.
- YouTube Help: Disclosing altered or synthetic content (read )
- European Commission: Code of practice on AI-generated content (read )
Related answers
- Can you monetize AI-generated videos on YouTube?
- How do I make AI videos for YouTube Shorts?
- How do I label a video as AI-generated on TikTok?
- Do AI-generated videos need a label under the EU AI Act?
- Is it legal to make an AI video of a real person?
Part of the Cast answers library (TikTok, Shorts and Reels).
Updated