YouTube declares war on Al-generated junk- Here's what Filipino creators need to know

Ever clicked on a YouTube video expecting something fresh and creative, only to be greeted by a monotone voice reading a script you swear you've heard a hundred times before? You're not imagining it, and you're not alone in hating this trend. For the past year, YouTube has been flooded with what many now call 'AI slop' - videos churned out by bots with little thought or originality.

- By MARK ISAIAH DAVID

Fortunately, YouTube's had enough, and the platform is drawing a big red line in the sand. Say goodbye to easy money.

As of July 15, YouTube no longer pays creators for content it considers inauthentic or mass-produced. If your videos are clearly made by AI and add little value, don't expect to earn a cent. This is a big shift, with dire economic implications. And it's going to hit content creators hard.

The Rise (and Risk) of AI-Generated Content

AI tools have made it ridiculously easy to pump out videos. With apps like ChatGPT, ElevenLabs, and a few royalty-free clips, it's child's play to churn out videos using robotic narrators, uninspired footage, and content that feels empty, soulless, and devoid of anything that makes a real connection with its intended audience.

Dozens of these AI-made videos are posted daily, raking in small ad revenues that eventually add up. The strategy is simple: flood the platform, earn from volume. It doesn't matter if the content is repetitive, copied from others, and bereft of added value. Even garbage earns money at the junkyard, after all.