A Google search option that reads “Tips For All The Content Creators On How To Make Videos in 5 Minutes” would have been ruled out as clickbait so fast if it was not for the addendum “with AI”. The moment that you drop the keyword AI, most of the scepticism that is linked to whether we can actually get the necessary work done is jettisoned out of our minds. AI; a buzzword and also the root cause for many concerns in the recent past has yet again proven that it is a tool that “we can’t with and can’t without”. And this time around Youtube has employed AI to make creators’ lives easier.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ‘Dream Screen’
We are currently a part and parcel of a fast-paced digital world. People are more partial towards the consumption of short media because media that requires us to sit for more than 60 seconds has now begun to look like a daunting task. People’s ability to focus on content is diminishing and because of that short-form video content has become a significant disruptor in the realm of digital media consumption. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, which are faithful disciples of producing short media, have gained tremendous popularity, completely captivating audiences with their brief yet impactful video content. YouTube shorts are also a disciple as such, a well-known and favoured one at that.
YouTube recently announced that YouTube Short videos have reached a new milestone where they are now being viewed 70 billion times per day, and this viewership comes from a user base of over 2 billion logged-in users each month. Along with this achievement, YouTube has introduced a plethora of interesting and new generative AI tools that look promising for video content creators and their streaming platforms. As mentioned in an article on CNN, YouTube’s CEO Neal Mohan is of the belief that “AI will enable people to push the boundaries of creative expression by making the difficult things further”. He also further explains, “[w]e want to make it easier for everyone to feel like they can create, and we believe generative AI will make that possible”. Amidst all the tools that were introduced, a tool that YouTube’s CEO paid particular attention to is the ‘Dream Screen’. And this was because it is a generative AI feature that was introduced especially for its short-form video feature; YouTube shorts.
‘Dream Screen’ is a test feature that empowers content creators to include AI-generated video or image backgrounds in their vertical videos. To utilise ‘Dream Screen’, creators simply need to input their concept for a background as a prompt, and the platform will handle the rest. As an example, a user could generate a background that simulates being in outer space or on a beach with sand composed of jelly beans, based on demonstrations of the tool that was provided on the stage of the ‘Made on Youtube’ event which was held on 21 September 2023.
YouTube plans to initiate testing of this feature later this year, with an initial rollout to a limited group of creators. Right after this phase, they will make the feature available, at a regulated pace, to more creators in early next year. Eventually, there are plans for a broader public release of ‘Dream Screen’ in the future.
YouTube’s other AI tools
In addition to ‘Dream Screen’, YouTube is also introducing a new mobile application that is titled ‘YouTube Create’. This is currently in beta testing on Android in the United States, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Indonesia, India, Korea and Singapore, and is accessible for everyone devoid of any cost. The app is equipped with video editing tools such as exact editing and trimming, automatic captioning, voiceover capabilities, and access to an entire range of filters, effects and transitions, and royalty-free music that comes with beat matching technology. This will undoubtedly empower content creators to create their YouTube videos without the requirement of complex editing software.
While ‘Dream Screen’ and ‘YouTube Create’ are significant strides, YouTube has no plans to stop. The video platform has embedded AI-powered features into its offerings. In the upcoming days, YouTube Studio will leverage generative AI to assist creators in generating video concepts and creating outlines that will add a flair to the process of brainstorming. The insights that will be provided will be catered on a personalised level to each channel and will be based on what the audiences are currently viewing on YouTube.
Penultimately, the platform is also introducing Assistive Search in Creator Music, which allows creators to describe their content, and AI will then suggest music that suits the prompt at suitable pricing.
Finally, YouTube is introducing ‘Aloud’, an AI-powered automatic dubbing tool that can dub content into multiple languages. This feature is designed to make content more accessible and reach broader audiences by providing dubbing options. ‘Aloud’ is currently being tested in three languages, namely English, Portuguese and Spanish.
What is impressive about these tools is that when they were experimented on during their foetal stages by the creators in YouTube studio, more than 70% of the participants stated that these tools sparked their creativity for idea development and testing for their videos. Which stands as proof of their success rates.
What role do AI-powered tools play in content creation?
AI is quite efficient. They are known for their ability to make things appear much easier. YouTube’s AI-powered tools are no different where they can provide valuable assistance in analysing trends, user preferences, and competitor data, giving the creators a head-start in identifying promising topics for their YouTube channels. These tools can bring niche subjects and trending themes to the forefront and make the job of content creators flow smoothly.
Furthermore, these tools aid in optimising video titles, and crafting SEO-optimised descriptions and tags for improved search engine visibility. They can also identify relevant keywords and recommend metadata enhancements to boost discoverability. These AI tools also provide insights into audience demographics, interests, and viewing habits, enabling data-driven content strategies to better engage and target specific audiences.
However, despite all its benefits, there is always a ‘but’. Yes, it is only normal for the world’s largest video-sharing platform to join the other tech giants in the AI race, but it is always important to remember that at the end of the day, AI should be treated only as a supplement, a contributor and not as the main character behind the content that is created. Once a content creator makes the grave mistake of letting AI take the wheel, it will erase all traces of a personal touch and make it just another video amidst the sea of such videos. While the change that AI brings is essential for survival in the modern era, it should never be the only means of survival. Bestowing that kind of unparalleled power on technology is an extremely unhealthy option.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)