AI on YouTube
2024-09-01
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At this point I've given up most major social media sites, but one I have difficulty letting go of is YouTube. I deleted my YouTube account a while ago, favoring third-party tools like yt-dlp and NewPipe, but there are enough enjoyable and informative resources on the site that I haven't abandoned it completely yet.
Recently I've noticed that an increasing number of the channels I follow are beginning to use AI images and videos in their content. I've seen fake speeches from Joe Biden and Donald Trump; I've heard fake CNN and Fox News broadcasts; today I even heard a fake narration provided by an AI David Attenborough. From the context, I can tell that most of them are either using it for comedic effect or are simply exploring its potential. However, the proliferation of AI on the platform frustrates me.
I don't have an issue with AI as a concept. I can see its potential in analyzing large amounts of data and identifying patterns in a more complex and nuanced way that simple weighing algorithms. I do have an issue with people using AI to fake things, even satirically, because satire is easily misconstrued on the Internet. I have an issue with real people's likenesses being used, without their permission, in ways that are designed to mimic them as closely as possible. I have an issue with deliberately mixing fiction and reality, until it becomes almost impossible to tell what is even factual.
I've uninstalled NewPipe from my smartphone, and going forward, I want to avoid YouTube as much as I can. It's probably better for my attention span and my productivity anyway.
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[Last updated: 2024-10-06]
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