YouTube has announced a new feature that enables creators to opt-in to allowing third-party companies to use their videos for AI model training. This move comes amid concerns over AI models being trained on scraped YouTube content without creators' consent. The default setting for this feature is off, meaning that creators who do not want to participate do not need to take any action.

According to a YouTube support post, the feature is designed to support creators in realizing new value for their content in the AI era. The company plans to roll out the setting in YouTube Studio over the next few days, with unauthorized scraping remaining prohibited. Creators will be able to choose from a list of approved third-party companies, including AI21 Labs, Adobe, Amazon, and others, or allow all companies to train on their videos.

This development follows reports of AI models from major companies, such as OpenAI, Apple, and Anthropic, being trained on YouTube content and datasets without permission. Notably, Google itself already uses YouTube data to improve its AI tools, a practice that has raised concerns among creators. In September, the company stated that it uses content uploaded to YouTube to enhance the product experience, consistent with the terms creators agree to.

While this new feature provides creators with more control over their content, it does not address the issue of Google's default access to YouTube data for its own AI purposes. This has sparked debate over the balance between supporting innovation in AI and protecting creators' rights and interests.

The implications of this feature are far-reaching, as it could lead to new forms of collaboration between creators and third-party companies. However, it also raises questions about the potential risks and benefits of AI model training on user-generated content. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how this feature will impact the relationship between creators, YouTube, and the broader tech industry.

In the meantime, creators will need to weigh the potential benefits of opting-in to AI training against concerns over data privacy and control. As the feature rolls out, it will be important to monitor its impact and ensure that creators' rights are protected in the AI era.