YouTube has admitted to quietly applying AI enhancements to user videos without warning or consent, leaving many creators unsettled. Subtle changes like smoothed skin, sharper clothing, and even warped ears have been noticed by major creators such as Rick Beato and Rhett Shull. While these tweaks may appear minor, they add an artificial, almost “AI-generated” feel to the content, raising concerns about authenticity and creator trust. Critics argue that such unannounced alterations distort reality and misrepresent the creators’ original work, eroding the relationship between influencers and their audiences.

YouTube defends the move as an “experiment” using machine-learning tools similar to smartphone video optimization, but experts caution this is another step toward AI shaping much of the media we consume—often invisibly. Scholars like Samuel Woolley warn that when platforms manipulate content without consent, it blurs the line between genuine reality and digital fabrication. As AI increasingly defines what we see, hear, and believe, the concern grows: if even creators can’t control their own work, how long before our shared sense of truth is irreparably altered?

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SOURCE: BBC