YouTube’s new likeness detection tool will help creators find and take down deepfakes of themselves

In a post, YouTube said that the likeness detection tool works similarly to content ID, but instead of copyrighted content, it searches for a person’s likeness. When a creator uploads their face when setting up the tool, YouTube’s system will scan uploads of new videos that may contain faces of other individuals to identify their faces.

However, the company did warn users that the tool “may display videos featuring your actual face, not altered or synthetic versions.” For example, one may come across short clips of their YouTube videos, which are not removable under privacy policies. To use the new feature, open YouTube Studio, and in the left menu, click on Content Detection, tap on ‘Likeness’ and press the ‘Start now’ button.

With AI-generated content on the rise, the tool can help content creators protect their privacy by letting them remove AI-generated or altered videos uploaded to YouTube. In the last few months, Google has been pushing free, powerful AI models that have contributed to the popularity of generative AI content. Recently, the tech giant unveiled Veo 3.1, a new AI model that includes support for both portrait and landscape videos and has promised that it will soon integrate it with YouTube.