YouTube Shorts Introduces AI Avatar Feature for Video Creation
YouTube Shorts has introduced a new feature allowing creators to make digital avatars for their videos. Available to users aged 18 and older with YouTube channels, this feature can be accessed through the main app and YouTube Create. To generate an avatar, users need to capture a "live selfie" under certain conditions. These avatars can be combined with text to create videos lasting up to eight seconds, complete with animated lip movements and gestures. Creators can produce multiple clips and incorporate avatars into qualifying Shorts. Users have the option to modify or delete their avatars, which YouTube will deactivate after three years of inactivity. All AI-generated content will feature watermarks and disclosures. This launch comes as OpenAI closes its AI video application, Sora.
Key facts
- YouTube Shorts has introduced an AI avatar feature for video creation.
- Users must be at least 18 years old and have an existing YouTube channel to access the tool.
- Avatars are created by recording a "live selfie" under specific conditions: good lighting, quiet environment, no other faces, and phone at eye level.
- Videos generated with avatars can be up to eight seconds long and include animated lip movements, facial expressions, and hand gestures.
- Selfie and voice data are used only for avatar creation, and others cannot use the avatars for original Shorts.
- Users can delete their avatars at any time, and YouTube will automatically remove them after three years of inactivity.
- All AI-generated videos include watermarks, digital labels (SynthID and C2PA), and disclosures.
- The feature rollout is gradual and follows OpenAI's shutdown of its AI video-generation app Sora.
Entities
Institutions
- YouTube
- OpenAI
- 9to5Google
- Depositphotos