On July 15, 2025, YouTube is implementing a major policy update to combat mass-produced, low-quality “AI slop.” This crackdown will reshape the platform’s creator economy by tightening monetization rules.

The problem: The platform is flooded with AI-generated content – from fake news videos to automated music channels – that undermines advertiser confidence and drowns out authentic creators.

What’s changing: YouTube is renaming its “repetitious content” policy to “inauthentic content” and will now explicitly target:

• Mass-produced videos made with minimal human input (AI voiceovers, automated scripts).
• Content borrowed from other sources with only minor alterations.
• Repetitive, templated formats that lack genuine value.

The impact: Channels relying on these methods risk demonetization or removal from the partner program. While not banning AI entirely, YouTube will require substantial human creativity for monetization.

Final takeaway: This shift is a bet on human creativity. Authentic creators who provide unique commentary and transformative value may benefit from reduced competition, while automated content farms face a reckoning.

For creators, the message is clear: use AI as a tool, not a replacement, and prioritize authentic, human-driven content.