MOVIE NEWS – As AI continues to stir up debate in Hollywood and the broader film industry, YouTube has officially entered the ring. Long a haven for fake movie trailers, the platform is now cracking down on videos powered by artificial intelligence, especially those misleading audiences with trailers for fake or canceled films. While many viewers despise these AI fakes, some channels have raked in massive ad revenue from them. But YouTube just hit back — hard.

According to Deadline, YouTube has demonetized two of the most prominent AI trailer channels: Screen Trailers and Royal Trailer. Both have been booted from the platform’s Partner Program, cutting them off from ad revenue. This isn’t YouTube’s first move — back in March, it removed monetization from two other major AI trailer channels, Screen Culture and KH Studios. As it turns out, the latest banned accounts are simply alternate channels run by the same creators.

YouTube issued a firm statement: “Our enforcement decisions, including suspensions from the YouTube Partner Program, apply to all channels that may be owned or operated by the impacted creator.” While some users may have avoided these videos altogether, they pulled in staggering numbers — Screen Culture alone has more than 1.4 million subscribers.

YouTube’s takedown was based on violations of its monetization policy, which requires that reused content be “significantly transformed” to count as original. The platform also forbids content made solely for views and flagged the channels for misleading edits, like the now-infamous fake Hello Kitty trailer starring Danny DeVito and Henry Cavill, which, while hilarious, was completely fake.

The Fight Against AI Continues

The rise of generative tools like ChatGPT has reshaped the digital world, and the battle over AI’s place in creative industries is far from over. Even before the tech was real, people were arguing whether machines could or should make art. Now that the tech exists, the stakes are even higher — and studios seem more eager than ever to exploit it.

Multiple major studios have been caught using AI in both promotional materials and the content itself. The most high-profile case so far is A24’s Civil War, which used AI-generated imagery for posters. That caused backlash, but things got worse when viewers learned Late Night with the Devil used AI inside the film. Not even Marvel Studios escaped controversy — Secret Invasion relied on generative AI for its opening credits, triggering further outrage from fans.

Source: Deadline