YouTube Will Soon Let Creators Make Shorts With Their Own AI Likeness
YouTube Shorts now lets creators use their AI likeness—safely and ethically. Here’s how it works and why it matters in 2026.
Matilda
YouTube Will Soon Let Creators Make Shorts With Their Own AI Likeness
YouTube is giving creators a powerful new tool: the ability to generate Shorts using their own AI-generated likeness. Announced by CEO Neal Mohan in his 2026 annual letter, this feature lets creators produce content without being physically on camera—while retaining full control over how their digital identity is used. With Shorts now averaging 200 billion daily views, this move could reshape how content is made, but only if creators stay in the driver’s seat. Credit: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty Images YouTube’s AI Likeness Tool: Your Digital Double, On Your Terms Starting in 2026, eligible YouTube creators will be able to create a personalized AI avatar that mimics their appearance and voice for use in Shorts. Unlike deepfakes or unauthorized clones, this AI likeness is built with explicit creator consent and integrated directly into YouTube’s studio tools. The system uses secure, on-platform training data—never pulling from public videos without permission—and requires…