YouTube to Launch AI Feature Letting Creators Generate Shorts in Their Own Image

YouTube revealed plans on Jan. 21 to introduce a feature in 2026 that allows creators to produce Shorts using artificial intelligence representations of their own likeness.

The announcement came from Chief Executive Neal Mohan in a blog post detailing the video-sharing platform's priorities for the year.

Mohan wrote that the capability forms part of broader efforts to integrate AI tools, which already draw daily use from more than 1 million channels on average. 

The new AI-powered tool enables users to create a Short with their own likeness, alongside options to generate games from text prompts and explore music features.

"This year you'll be able to create a Short using your own likeness, produce games with a simple text prompt, and experiment with music," Mohan stated in the post.

YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc., averages 200 billion daily views on Shorts and aims to bolster creator tools amid competition from platforms like TikTok. 

Mohan addressed potential misuse by noting that AI serves as an aid for creativity rather than a substitute.

"Throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement," he wrote.

The company requires disclosure of altered or synthetic content and removes material violating community guidelines.

YouTube also backs laws such as the NO FAKES Act to safeguard against unauthorized deepfakes and has deployed likeness-detection software for creators to flag improper uses of their image or voice. 

Existing AI functions on the platform include auto-dubbing in over 20 languages, which attracts more than 6 million daily viewers for at least 10 minutes of content, and an Ask tool fielding questions on videos from over 20 million users in December.

The likeness feature joins these as YouTube works to curb low-quality AI-generated material through enhanced spam and clickbait detection systems.