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Photo Credit: Alvaro Reyes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Music YouTube\u2019s Global Head of Music reaffirmed the company\u2019s stance on embracing AI, but doubled down on building guardrails for likeness detection and fighting the spread of \u201clow-quality\u201d AI slop.<\/h2>\n
On Monday, YouTube\u2019s Global Head of Music, Lyor Cohen, released his first newsletter<\/a> of the year, reaffirming YouTube CEO Neal Mohan\u2019s earlier remarks<\/a> on generative AI. In addition to highlighting the company\u2019s emphasis on being \u201ca primary driver of fan loyalty,\u201d he doubled down on YouTube building \u201cguardrails for likeness detection,\u201d as well as fighting the spread of so-called AI slop.<\/p>\n Cohen pointed out YouTube\u2019s pivotal role in \u201cthe thick of a transformation period with the integration of generative AI across our businesses,\u201d while quoting Mohan\u2019s earlier assertion that \u201cAI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat means building tools that unlock a new wave of storytelling capabilities for artists, songwriters, and creators,\u201d Cohen wrote. \u201cWe\u2019re also doubling down on the kinds of systems you\u2019ve trusted for years\u2014like Content ID\u2014to build new guardrails for likeness detection, while also combating the spread of low-quality AI content on our platform.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn many ways we\u2019ve been here before, and for the most part, we emerged stronger because we worked together to shape the possibilities and tackle the problems,\u201d Cohen added, presumably referring to the birth of online music streaming some 30 years ago now. \u201cThis moment is no different. We can\u2019t run from it\u2014we\u2019ve just got to build it responsibly, creatively, and together.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that in order to foster sustainable artist careers, helping fans discover the interconnected visual world of an artist is more important than ever,\u201d wrote Cohen. \u201cDigging through the crates to find a life-changing track or seeing your favorite band play live for the first time\u2014those are seminal experiences. While the journey to get there has changed, the feeling when it hits remains the same. Together we need to focus on growing dedicated fanabases that put every album on repeat and buy tickets for every tour.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a stance that makes sense for YouTube and its bottom line. The newsletter also comes on the heels of fellow industry juggernaut Irving Azoff labeling Cohen as the \u201cbully\u201d at the helm<\/a> of YouTube\u2019s abysmally low artist royalties. But regardless of your thoughts on Cohen (or YouTube), it\u2019s hard to deny that the platform has been getting tons of new subscribers over the last year<\/a> with him at the wheel.<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n\u201cIn addition to official content, we are uplifting content from the \u2018extended artist world\u2014think cultural moments like Coachella and the Olympics, or the raw intimacy of an NPR Tiny Desk concert\u2014that extends fandom even further,\u201d he continued, calling YouTube the \u201cundisputed home of the music video,\u201d which he cited as \u201ca primary driver of fan loyalty.\u201d<\/h4>\n