I'm Emily Chang, and this is the circuit, all right.

I'm Emily Chang, and this is the circuit, all right.

So here we are one of the elephants.

So here we are one of the elephants.

And cool thing about these guys spent it's that they have really, really, really long from and that's that's.

And cool thing about these guys spent it's that they have really, really, really long from and that's that's.

Cool list.

Cool list.

And that's pretty much all this to say.

And that's pretty much all this to say.

That was the very first video uploaded to YouTube when the website launched nearly two decades ago. It's now got over three hundred million views and the platform has become one of the world's most influential media companies. Today YouTube is even bigger than Netflix.

That was the very first video uploaded to YouTube when the website launched nearly two decades ago. It's now got over three hundred million views and the platform has become one of the world's most influential media companies. Today YouTube is even bigger than Netflix.

I've been working with YouTube even before either I or YouTube were part of Google, when it was above you know, pieces of Parlor right down the street here in San Mateo, and so I have really seen that journey really kind of from me at the zoo to what it's become today.

I've been working with YouTube even before either I or YouTube were part of Google, when it was above you know, pieces of Parlor right down the street here in San Mateo, and so I have really seen that journey really kind of from me at the zoo to what it's become today.

YouTube CEO Neil Mohan took the rains from Susan Lejitski in February twenty twenty three years he served as YouTube's Chief product officer and is largely credited with expanding the platform services. Amidst the rise of cord cutting, our.

YouTube CEO Neil Mohan took the rains from Susan Lejitski in February twenty twenty three years he served as YouTube's Chief product officer and is largely credited with expanding the platform services. Amidst the rise of cord cutting, our.

Top creators have grown their watch time on living room screens by something on the order of four hundred percent in the last year, a couple of years or so, and so we're seeing enormous growth. And it really comes down to the fact that people come home, they sit down on their couch, and they turn on YouTube and they want to consume all the content that they know and love on it.

Top creators have grown their watch time on living room screens by something on the order of four hundred percent in the last year, a couple of years or so, and so we're seeing enormous growth. And it really comes down to the fact that people come home, they sit down on their couch, and they turn on YouTube and they want to consume all the content that they know and love on it.

Just over a year into the top job, Mohan is now tasked with taking YouTube to new heights, all while dealing with the unprecedented challenges of AI and keeping the world's largest creator economy afloat. Joining me on this episode of The Circuit, YouTube CEO Neil Mohan.

Just over a year into the top job, Mohan is now tasked with taking YouTube to new heights, all while dealing with the unprecedented challenges of AI and keeping the world's largest creator economy afloat. Joining me on this episode of The Circuit, YouTube CEO Neil Mohan.

You're now a year into the top job.

You're now a year into the top job.

What is it more than a third of the planet is already watching YouTube?

What is it more than a third of the planet is already watching YouTube?

How do you plan to make it even bigger?

How do you plan to make it even bigger?

We've got a couple billion people that come to the platform, come to YouTube every single day. Really, the way I think about it is, you know, YouTube's really kind of its own sort of unique thing. We're not a social media platform, we're not traditional media in the sense, we're not linear television. We're really sort of our own thing. And so what that means for me is staying focused on what we do best, which is a place to create, share, and watch video no matter where you are in the world, no matter what screen you're on, and that can be everything from a fifteen second short to a fifteen minute traditional vod on YouTube, to a fifteen hour live stream and everything in between. And so if we live up to that vision, we think we're really still in the early days of our growth story and fulfilling what our mission is, which is to give everyone a voice and show them the world.

We've got a couple billion people that come to the platform, come to YouTube every single day. Really, the way I think about it is, you know, YouTube's really kind of its own sort of unique thing. We're not a social media platform, we're not traditional media in the sense, we're not linear television. We're really sort of our own thing. And so what that means for me is staying focused on what we do best, which is a place to create, share, and watch video no matter where you are in the world, no matter what screen you're on, and that can be everything from a fifteen second short to a fifteen minute traditional vod on YouTube, to a fifteen hour live stream and everything in between. And so if we live up to that vision, we think we're really still in the early days of our growth story and fulfilling what our mission is, which is to give everyone a voice and show them the world.

Based on Nielsen's latest data, YouTube is now by far the biggest streamer in the world, Netflix close behind, and then everybody else drops way down, Hulu, Disney, Max, Apple. You don't get the awards or the critical acclaim. What more does YouTube have to prove?

Based on Nielsen's latest data, YouTube is now by far the biggest streamer in the world, Netflix close behind, and then everybody else drops way down, Hulu, Disney, Max, Apple. You don't get the awards or the critical acclaim. What more does YouTube have to prove?

Well, I would say that certainly from a viewer standpoint, what they care about is everything that I just mentioned, which is all of their favorite content in one place. When you sit down on the couch and you turn on YouTube, you expect your favorite creator, to your favorite sports highlight, all of that in one place, and so it's less about sort of the accolades around that. And I do think that YouTube is getting recognized as that platform on television screens. We just surpassed a billion hours of watch time on living room screens, and you mentioned the Nielsen ratings. That is certainly something that when I speak to our advertising partners, the brands that look to build connections with consumers on our platform, they recognize that and they see it as a place not just of this broad reach you know, the number one streaming platform here in the US, but also reach that is engaged and from a brand's perspective, that is something that they are really recognizing. Like I said, it's still the early days of our journey, but I do start to hear that more and more from our partners.

Well, I would say that certainly from a viewer standpoint, what they care about is everything that I just mentioned, which is all of their favorite content in one place. When you sit down on the couch and you turn on YouTube, you expect your favorite creator, to your favorite sports highlight, all of that in one place, and so it's less about sort of the accolades around that. And I do think that YouTube is getting recognized as that platform on television screens. We just surpassed a billion hours of watch time on living room screens, and you mentioned the Nielsen ratings. That is certainly something that when I speak to our advertising partners, the brands that look to build connections with consumers on our platform, they recognize that and they see it as a place not just of this broad reach you know, the number one streaming platform here in the US, but also reach that is engaged and from a brand's perspective, that is something that they are really recognizing. Like I said, it's still the early days of our journey, but I do start to hear that more and more from our partners.

YouTube is printing money for Google, as I understand it, upwards of fifteen billion dollars a year. Where will the future revenue growth come from. Talk to us about that strategy and how it will play in.

YouTube is printing money for Google, as I understand it, upwards of fifteen billion dollars a year. Where will the future revenue growth come from. Talk to us about that strategy and how it will play in.

If you think about YouTube today compared to what YouTube was five years ago or certainly ten years ago, there are an order of magnitude more creators on our platform. We have a breadth of monetization offerings to support this creator economy, not just ads, but subscription business. You know that was the fifteen billion dollars subscription business across all of Google, but also direct to fan funding like channel memberships and things like that. So there's an enormous amount of scale and complexity in the ecosystem that requires us to rethink how we're going to support that creator ecosystem. But the goal is the same, which is to make our creators successful on our platform in terms of building an audience, but also being able to earn a sustainable living from our platform. One of the things that I'm most proud of is that we are the world's original and largest creator economy. We've paid out seventy billion dollars to creators, media companies, musicians, and artists over the last three years, and that's something that we are very proud of here at YouTube.

If you think about YouTube today compared to what YouTube was five years ago or certainly ten years ago, there are an order of magnitude more creators on our platform. We have a breadth of monetization offerings to support this creator economy, not just ads, but subscription business. You know that was the fifteen billion dollars subscription business across all of Google, but also direct to fan funding like channel memberships and things like that. So there's an enormous amount of scale and complexity in the ecosystem that requires us to rethink how we're going to support that creator ecosystem. But the goal is the same, which is to make our creators successful on our platform in terms of building an audience, but also being able to earn a sustainable living from our platform. One of the things that I'm most proud of is that we are the world's original and largest creator economy. We've paid out seventy billion dollars to creators, media companies, musicians, and artists over the last three years, and that's something that we are very proud of here at YouTube.

Google's ad business is a monster thanks in part to you. I mean, you obviously came in and double click in the early days and your roots are in the ad business. But also it's started controversy about privacy and tracking. What are some of the lessons that you've taken from that that you're applying.

Google's ad business is a monster thanks in part to you. I mean, you obviously came in and double click in the early days and your roots are in the ad business. But also it's started controversy about privacy and tracking. What are some of the lessons that you've taken from that that you're applying.

To YouTube what we are building for all of us as users of the platform, because ultimately, it is that connection between fans and viewers and creators that is what's ultimately attractive to advertisers. So if you're not focused on that connection between creators and fans, everything that you're doing from an advertiser standpoint is sort of mood. So that's the first thing. The second is that monetization, building advertising products and therefore being able to monetize all this amazing on YouTube is a long term game. We're going through that journey, for example, right now in terms of shorts, monetization and actually making shorts a platform that is not just a great place to build an audience, but to also build a business. And so that's probably the second thing that I've learned, and the third spending lots of time with brands and advertisers and agencies is really focusing on innovation that we could bring to the products that they use to engage with their consumers on our platform. That is a big area of investment that we work on in very close partnerships with our ads colleagues across Google.

To YouTube what we are building for all of us as users of the platform, because ultimately, it is that connection between fans and viewers and creators that is what's ultimately attractive to advertisers. So if you're not focused on that connection between creators and fans, everything that you're doing from an advertiser standpoint is sort of mood. So that's the first thing. The second is that monetization, building advertising products and therefore being able to monetize all this amazing on YouTube is a long term game. We're going through that journey, for example, right now in terms of shorts, monetization and actually making shorts a platform that is not just a great place to build an audience, but to also build a business. And so that's probably the second thing that I've learned, and the third spending lots of time with brands and advertisers and agencies is really focusing on innovation that we could bring to the products that they use to engage with their consumers on our platform. That is a big area of investment that we work on in very close partnerships with our ads colleagues across Google.

So you've been at Google for fifteen years.

So you've been at Google for fifteen years.

You joined when YouTube was best known for cat videos, and now you're carrying the Super Bowl. Did you ever imagine YouTube would be carrying the Super Bowl.

You joined when YouTube was best known for cat videos, and now you're carrying the Super Bowl. Did you ever imagine YouTube would be carrying the Super Bowl.

I've always felt that YouTube is a great place for fans. I happen to be a huge sports fan myself, and so really since almost the very early days of YouTube, it's been a place where I personally was consuming highlights and more in depth interviews and things like that. We just concluded season one of NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and it really brought together, I think, kind of two or three really key things that are unique to YouTube about that live sports experience, like ease of use, great features, so product innovation, and most importantly, I would say, actually bringing together creators and that live sports content all in one place, especially for young people.

I've always felt that YouTube is a great place for fans. I happen to be a huge sports fan myself, and so really since almost the very early days of YouTube, it's been a place where I personally was consuming highlights and more in depth interviews and things like that. We just concluded season one of NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube and it really brought together, I think, kind of two or three really key things that are unique to YouTube about that live sports experience, like ease of use, great features, so product innovation, and most importantly, I would say, actually bringing together creators and that live sports content all in one place, especially for young people.

So ESPN, Fox, Warner Brothers are all teaming up to do a sports streaming app.

So ESPN, Fox, Warner Brothers are all teaming up to do a sports streaming app.

How fiercely will YouTube compete for sports rights?

How fiercely will YouTube compete for sports rights?

We just concluded season one of NFL Sunday Ticket. We're already deep in the planning for season two. New features, new capabilities, new creator collaborations that we're going to bring for our fans that I'm super super excited about. So I have my hands full with making that incredible experience for our fans. But what I will say is we've been working with the sports leagues for a very long time. The NFL, the NBA Baseball leagues really all over the world to have their highlights live games in many cases like Polystyle and Brazil. And so we've been working on live content sports, highlight content creator collaborations with sports for well over a decade, and all of that is going to continue.

We just concluded season one of NFL Sunday Ticket. We're already deep in the planning for season two. New features, new capabilities, new creator collaborations that we're going to bring for our fans that I'm super super excited about. So I have my hands full with making that incredible experience for our fans. But what I will say is we've been working with the sports leagues for a very long time. The NFL, the NBA Baseball leagues really all over the world to have their highlights live games in many cases like Polystyle and Brazil. And so we've been working on live content sports, highlight content creator collaborations with sports for well over a decade, and all of that is going to continue.

YouTube has paid out seventy billion dollars to creators over the last three years. That's even more than Netflix is spending on content. Break that number down for.

YouTube has paid out seventy billion dollars to creators over the last three years. That's even more than Netflix is spending on content. Break that number down for.

Us, just to give you a little bit more sort of sense of the scale of it. We have three million creators in our YPP program, so that is millions of creators literally earning a living on our platform. Most of that is generated through advertising. Advertising is our primary business, but increasingly our spot business, our subscriptions business, of which there's two flavors, has grown to be a very meaningful part of our business as well, and so that's YouTube music and premium is in that number as well, but we also obviously have a YouTube TV subscription business. And then the bucket that also gives creators choice in terms of how they earn a living on our platform is something that we call fan funding, and that is the ability to earn revenue directly from your fans, and so it's really all three of those buckets AVA, S, FOD and fan funding, direct to consumer that generate revenue for our creators, and.

Us, just to give you a little bit more sort of sense of the scale of it. We have three million creators in our YPP program, so that is millions of creators literally earning a living on our platform. Most of that is generated through advertising. Advertising is our primary business, but increasingly our spot business, our subscriptions business, of which there's two flavors, has grown to be a very meaningful part of our business as well, and so that's YouTube music and premium is in that number as well, but we also obviously have a YouTube TV subscription business. And then the bucket that also gives creators choice in terms of how they earn a living on our platform is something that we call fan funding, and that is the ability to earn revenue directly from your fans, and so it's really all three of those buckets AVA, S, FOD and fan funding, direct to consumer that generate revenue for our creators, and.

It's paying off or time will tell.

It's paying off or time will tell.

Our business is successful when our creator's business is successful. And so we are really pleased with the size of the creator economy. But I also remind our teams every day that we're still in the very early journey of what this could grow and become.

Our business is successful when our creator's business is successful. And so we are really pleased with the size of the creator economy. But I also remind our teams every day that we're still in the very early journey of what this could grow and become.

Now YouTube's algorithm can make or break a creator's future.

Now YouTube's algorithm can make or break a creator's future.

Take us inside the black.

Take us inside the black.

Box just a little. How does it work and why does it change all the time.

Box just a little. How does it work and why does it change all the time.

Well, the simplest way to think about the recommendations that you see in your feed, whether it's the home feed or on the watch page, is it is really a reflection of your interests as a viewer. So when I open up my feed, it is going to have sports in there, it's going to have music in there, it's going to have some creators that I'm watching in there. And so the quote unquote algorithm really is just a reflection back of your personalized interest as a viewer. And so when it's changing, it's changing in the sense of reflecting back your interests or your personalized history of what you were watching on our platform. And that is the simplest way that I can really describe, you know, it's you know.

Well, the simplest way to think about the recommendations that you see in your feed, whether it's the home feed or on the watch page, is it is really a reflection of your interests as a viewer. So when I open up my feed, it is going to have sports in there, it's going to have music in there, it's going to have some creators that I'm watching in there. And so the quote unquote algorithm really is just a reflection back of your personalized interest as a viewer. And so when it's changing, it's changing in the sense of reflecting back your interests or your personalized history of what you were watching on our platform. And that is the simplest way that I can really describe, you know, it's you know.

So it's our fault. The algorithm keeps changing.

So it's our fault. The algorithm keeps changing.

Well because you know, our interests as viewers continues to change. Now, obviously, we are also trying to continue to improve that experience for our viewers and help creators get discovered, and so we're not sitting still there. There's an enormous amount of innovation. You know, AI is such a buzzword in our industry today. But one of the areas where we've been investing very heavily in AI for around a decade is actually in those recommendations that you see when you open up the YouTube app, the.

Well because you know, our interests as viewers continues to change. Now, obviously, we are also trying to continue to improve that experience for our viewers and help creators get discovered, and so we're not sitting still there. There's an enormous amount of innovation. You know, AI is such a buzzword in our industry today. But one of the areas where we've been investing very heavily in AI for around a decade is actually in those recommendations that you see when you open up the YouTube app, the.

Mister Beast effect. It seems like everyone's trying to copy him. Now, do you worry at all about the homogenization of YouTube?

Mister Beast effect. It seems like everyone's trying to copy him. Now, do you worry at all about the homogenization of YouTube?

I personally don't worry about that, and the reason is because, you know, obviously, Jimmy is an incredibly successful creator on our platform. He is true innovator in terms of content, in terms of building that engagement with an audience. He's got an enormous audience on our platform. There are lots of creators obviously that try to learn from his success. But there are five hundred hours of content uploaded to our platform every single day, every niche interest, every learning pursuit that you want to have, every musical genre. So in terms of being able to find, you know, the particular niche that you're interested in in that moment that you're interested in, I'm never worried about it being you know, homogeneous across all of YouTube.

I personally don't worry about that, and the reason is because, you know, obviously, Jimmy is an incredibly successful creator on our platform. He is true innovator in terms of content, in terms of building that engagement with an audience. He's got an enormous audience on our platform. There are lots of creators obviously that try to learn from his success. But there are five hundred hours of content uploaded to our platform every single day, every niche interest, every learning pursuit that you want to have, every musical genre. So in terms of being able to find, you know, the particular niche that you're interested in in that moment that you're interested in, I'm never worried about it being you know, homogeneous across all of YouTube.

A bunch of powerful YouTubers announced recently they were quitting the platform.

A bunch of powerful YouTubers announced recently they were quitting the platform.

You know, some of them say they're burned out.

You know, some of them say they're burned out.

Some of them say, you know, they can't deal with the algorithm and all the time changes.

Some of them say, you know, they can't deal with the algorithm and all the time changes.

What do you have to say to some of those people?

What do you have to say to some of those people?

And I think there's this feeling that you're pushing out some of the more homespun creators for more flashy content.

And I think there's this feeling that you're pushing out some of the more homespun creators for more flashy content.

I would say the way I look at it is it's almost sort of a natural evolution given how long YouTube has been around, and I've had my own history with YouTube. I've been working with YouTube even before either I or YouTube were part of Google, when it was above you know, a piece of parlor right down the street here in San mateo, and so I have really seen that journey really kind of from me at the zoo to what it's become today. And I would say a couple things. First of all, everybody's decision in terms of what they choose to do really is a personal one. I know lots of creators who've chosen to either take a break or perhaps move to different sorts of pursuits. Some of them have moved from in front of the camera to behind the camera. Some of them have moved to grow different types of businesses out of their YouTube experience. And I think all of that is actually a natural evolution, but actually also really great because it's a decision that they were able to make based on their success on our platform. And so that's how I've seen that. You know, it's natural for someone who's been doing something for coming up on two decades to think about perhaps something else that they might want to do, and so it really is a personal choice.

I would say the way I look at it is it's almost sort of a natural evolution given how long YouTube has been around, and I've had my own history with YouTube. I've been working with YouTube even before either I or YouTube were part of Google, when it was above you know, a piece of parlor right down the street here in San mateo, and so I have really seen that journey really kind of from me at the zoo to what it's become today. And I would say a couple things. First of all, everybody's decision in terms of what they choose to do really is a personal one. I know lots of creators who've chosen to either take a break or perhaps move to different sorts of pursuits. Some of them have moved from in front of the camera to behind the camera. Some of them have moved to grow different types of businesses out of their YouTube experience. And I think all of that is actually a natural evolution, but actually also really great because it's a decision that they were able to make based on their success on our platform. And so that's how I've seen that. You know, it's natural for someone who's been doing something for coming up on two decades to think about perhaps something else that they might want to do, and so it really is a personal choice.

Broadly, shorts does seem to be YouTube's answer to TikTok? Is it working or are you cannibalizing the og?

Broadly, shorts does seem to be YouTube's answer to TikTok? Is it working or are you cannibalizing the og?

YouTube has to be a place for creators where they can do, again a fifteen second short or a fifteen hour live stream, and we have all of those creators on our platform, and so our investment in shorts is something that I'm very excited about. We have seventy billion views a day on the platform. You know, the number of creators uploading shorts has grown fifty percent year on year. We are in a monetization journey where every single month for the last year since launching our monetization program on shorts, creator's earnings have grown every single month. So lots and lots of success around shorts, but it's still very, very early days.

YouTube has to be a place for creators where they can do, again a fifteen second short or a fifteen hour live stream, and we have all of those creators on our platform, and so our investment in shorts is something that I'm very excited about. We have seventy billion views a day on the platform. You know, the number of creators uploading shorts has grown fifty percent year on year. We are in a monetization journey where every single month for the last year since launching our monetization program on shorts, creator's earnings have grown every single month. So lots and lots of success around shorts, but it's still very, very early days.

Screen Time is the number one thing parents seem to be dealing with right now, and studies are showing that screen time is linked to mental health issues and kids as young as three.

Screen Time is the number one thing parents seem to be dealing with right now, and studies are showing that screen time is linked to mental health issues and kids as young as three.

Like we're talking about anxiety depression. As a dad, how do you grapple with these issues.

Like we're talking about anxiety depression. As a dad, how do you grapple with these issues.

It's a great question. In our home. My wife and I talk about this on a regular basis. We have, you know, kids across a broad range, and I think, first of all, obviously every household has to make their own decisions about these things. The second, I do think that they're at least in our household, we make different decisions depending on the age and development of all three of our kids. Back to your point on screen time, personalized ads is not something that we allow for under eighteens. Uploading videos is default private, right, So those types of things, the screen time settings are set on by default actually for even in that case, and so that's sort of how we deal with it.

It's a great question. In our home. My wife and I talk about this on a regular basis. We have, you know, kids across a broad range, and I think, first of all, obviously every household has to make their own decisions about these things. The second, I do think that they're at least in our household, we make different decisions depending on the age and development of all three of our kids. Back to your point on screen time, personalized ads is not something that we allow for under eighteens. Uploading videos is default private, right, So those types of things, the screen time settings are set on by default actually for even in that case, and so that's sort of how we deal with it.

It's almost like kids, I mean, kids are spending billions of hours on YouTube. It's almost like the default babysitter. Do you think about that responsibility?

It's almost like kids, I mean, kids are spending billions of hours on YouTube. It's almost like the default babysitter. Do you think about that responsibility?

I think about it on a daily basis, And it starts with those principles which get baked into our products, YouTube, Kids Supervisors Experiences, even the main app for under eighteens. But it doesn't stop there. It's about also the policies that govern the content that should be allowed for young people. So we've always had very strong policies around wellbeing of young people, obviously very strong policies around eating disorders and self harm and that type of content. But it's not just about what content comes down from the platform. It is also how our recommendation algorithms think about that. And the third thing which sometimes gets overlooked but I think is really important, is also having a set of guidelines that we provide to the creative community about content that is appropriate for kids of all ages. Importantly, for all of these buckets, we really do work with a large stable of experts, so child wellbeing experts, child develop and experts, children's media experts, and this group of outside advisors really gives us advice on all of these things, our products, our content policies, our creator guidelines, and so it's an ongoing process. We're not perfect by any means, but it's a lot of this that goes into the products that the young people in your household experience every day.

I think about it on a daily basis, And it starts with those principles which get baked into our products, YouTube, Kids Supervisors Experiences, even the main app for under eighteens. But it doesn't stop there. It's about also the policies that govern the content that should be allowed for young people. So we've always had very strong policies around wellbeing of young people, obviously very strong policies around eating disorders and self harm and that type of content. But it's not just about what content comes down from the platform. It is also how our recommendation algorithms think about that. And the third thing which sometimes gets overlooked but I think is really important, is also having a set of guidelines that we provide to the creative community about content that is appropriate for kids of all ages. Importantly, for all of these buckets, we really do work with a large stable of experts, so child wellbeing experts, child develop and experts, children's media experts, and this group of outside advisors really gives us advice on all of these things, our products, our content policies, our creator guidelines, and so it's an ongoing process. We're not perfect by any means, but it's a lot of this that goes into the products that the young people in your household experience every day.

Artificial intelligence is clearly going to have a powerful impact on all platforms.

Artificial intelligence is clearly going to have a powerful impact on all platforms.

How will AI change YouTube?

How will AI change YouTube?

I feel that YouTube is uniquely positioned in one very specific way when it comes to artificial intelligence. Of course, we are a technology company. We have lots of engineers that work here building all the products that we have been talking about, and so we have a deep investment in artificial intelligence going back years and years. Everything from the way that we recommend content, all the work that we do to protect users on our platform from bad actors, bad content, etc. That has borne out through heavy investment in AI. But we're also a creative company. We're a platform where creators come every day to share their ideas, share their amazing work with their fans all over the world. So bringing together the best of AI and using it to really empower human creativity is how I think you're going to see it show up on YouTube.

I feel that YouTube is uniquely positioned in one very specific way when it comes to artificial intelligence. Of course, we are a technology company. We have lots of engineers that work here building all the products that we have been talking about, and so we have a deep investment in artificial intelligence going back years and years. Everything from the way that we recommend content, all the work that we do to protect users on our platform from bad actors, bad content, etc. That has borne out through heavy investment in AI. But we're also a creative company. We're a platform where creators come every day to share their ideas, share their amazing work with their fans all over the world. So bringing together the best of AI and using it to really empower human creativity is how I think you're going to see it show up on YouTube.

You've got a new tool now that requires users to disclose when they're using AI generated content.

You've got a new tool now that requires users to disclose when they're using AI generated content.

But why put that responsibility on users? Shouldn't you two be making that distinction.

But why put that responsibility on users? Shouldn't you two be making that distinction.

Well, the person who's going to know best that they have used either artificial intelligence, and by the way, it's not just about purely artificial intelligence, and creators do have a responsibility when they're uploading content and building an audience on YouTube to disclose that, and so that's what we believe. It is also our responsibility to put that in front of users, and so that will be a requirement of our creators, but we will build systems to also be able to do our best at detecting that. That's an area of investment for us. It's built on our existing policies and principles around content and our platform.

Well, the person who's going to know best that they have used either artificial intelligence, and by the way, it's not just about purely artificial intelligence, and creators do have a responsibility when they're uploading content and building an audience on YouTube to disclose that, and so that's what we believe. It is also our responsibility to put that in front of users, and so that will be a requirement of our creators, but we will build systems to also be able to do our best at detecting that. That's an area of investment for us. It's built on our existing policies and principles around content and our platform.

So you're also going to flag videos that you notice have AI involved that or maybe don't disclose.

So you're also going to flag videos that you notice have AI involved that or maybe don't disclose.

It and users can flag those videos as well. And so, just like for the rest of our content policies, if a user notices something that this is actually deceptive in this particular way, users can flag that and we use those user flags to actually make policy decisions. In this case, the decision would be applying a label to that content. And so that's one approach, but that's really only one approach by which we're thinking about living up to our responsibility in this really rapidly changing world powered by AI.

It and users can flag those videos as well. And so, just like for the rest of our content policies, if a user notices something that this is actually deceptive in this particular way, users can flag that and we use those user flags to actually make policy decisions. In this case, the decision would be applying a label to that content. And so that's one approach, but that's really only one approach by which we're thinking about living up to our responsibility in this really rapidly changing world powered by AI.

Well, talk about rapidly changing.

Well, talk about rapidly changing.

What was your reaction when you saw open ais Ora demo the technology.

What was your reaction when you saw open ais Ora demo the technology.

What's really amazing about this and our teams talk about this in our product reviews on a regular basis, is that there are new developments that are happening almost on a weekly, monthly sort of basis. And when I think about again, just from a YouTube perspective, the way that you should expect AI to manifest itself in the product is through creator tools, and as a creator, honestly, whether they're powered by AI or not is sort of besides the point. They should allow you to do things that otherwise you could only imagine in the past, or something that might have taken you nine weeks to do, maybe you can do in like nine minutes or nine seconds.

What's really amazing about this and our teams talk about this in our product reviews on a regular basis, is that there are new developments that are happening almost on a weekly, monthly sort of basis. And when I think about again, just from a YouTube perspective, the way that you should expect AI to manifest itself in the product is through creator tools, and as a creator, honestly, whether they're powered by AI or not is sort of besides the point. They should allow you to do things that otherwise you could only imagine in the past, or something that might have taken you nine weeks to do, maybe you can do in like nine minutes or nine seconds.

Open ai Cto Mira Marati was asked what data was used to train Sora, and she didn't give a clear answer.

Open ai Cto Mira Marati was asked what data was used to train Sora, and she didn't give a clear answer.

Do you believe that YouTube was used to train SOA.

Do you believe that YouTube was used to train SOA.

Well, I don't know. I think first you would have to you know, I guess they were asked, but you know you'd have to ask them. I have seen reports that it may or may not have been used. I have no information myself, and so I'd encourage you to ask them directly if it was.

Well, I don't know. I think first you would have to you know, I guess they were asked, but you know you'd have to ask them. I have seen reports that it may or may not have been used. I have no information myself, and so I'd encourage you to ask them directly if it was.

Being used, Would that be against your policy?

Being used, Would that be against your policy?

It would be. We have a clear terms of service that when a creator uploads their hard work to our platform, they have certain expectations. One of those expectations is that the terms of service is going to be abided by. And our terms of service does allow for some YouTube content like the title of a video or the channel name or the creator's name to be scraped, because that's how you enable the open Web for that content to show up and maybe show up in other search engines or what have you, and be available that way. But it does not allow for things like transcripts or video bits to be downloaded, and that is a clear violation of our toss. And so those are the rules of the road in terms of content on our platform, and how.

It would be. We have a clear terms of service that when a creator uploads their hard work to our platform, they have certain expectations. One of those expectations is that the terms of service is going to be abided by. And our terms of service does allow for some YouTube content like the title of a video or the channel name or the creator's name to be scraped, because that's how you enable the open Web for that content to show up and maybe show up in other search engines or what have you, and be available that way. But it does not allow for things like transcripts or video bits to be downloaded, and that is a clear violation of our toss. And so those are the rules of the road in terms of content on our platform, and how.

Does it work internally? Is Google using YouTube to train Gemini?

Does it work internally? Is Google using YouTube to train Gemini?

Google uses YouTube content really in accordance again back with those terms of service or individual contracts that we might have with creators or uploaders to our platform. As you know, lots of creators have different sort of licensing contracts in terms of their con our platform. Lots of rights holders do, and so some portion of that YouTube Corpus maybe being used for those models, but it's going to be in concert with whatever the terms of service or the contract that that creator is signed before uploading their content to YouTube.

Google uses YouTube content really in accordance again back with those terms of service or individual contracts that we might have with creators or uploaders to our platform. As you know, lots of creators have different sort of licensing contracts in terms of their con our platform. Lots of rights holders do, and so some portion of that YouTube Corpus maybe being used for those models, but it's going to be in concert with whatever the terms of service or the contract that that creator is signed before uploading their content to YouTube.

And how is.

And how is.

YouTube working with creators to make sure their IP is protected and that they get paid for it.

YouTube working with creators to make sure their IP is protected and that they get paid for it.

A lot of it does start with our core terms of service and what the rules there are in terms of how their content can be used, how it shouldn't be getting scraped, et cetera. So that's an important part of our efforts there. But I would take a step back and say that as we're thinking about how AI technology is going to show up on the YouTube platform, it's going to go back to the core mission, which is it's ultimately about making creators successful on our platform, building magical experiences for our viewers.

A lot of it does start with our core terms of service and what the rules there are in terms of how their content can be used, how it shouldn't be getting scraped, et cetera. So that's an important part of our efforts there. But I would take a step back and say that as we're thinking about how AI technology is going to show up on the YouTube platform, it's going to go back to the core mission, which is it's ultimately about making creators successful on our platform, building magical experiences for our viewers.

When I first saw SOA, I was definitely taken it back, like misinformation is already rampant. Are we staring down the barrel of a future where we won't know what's real.

When I first saw SOA, I was definitely taken it back, like misinformation is already rampant. Are we staring down the barrel of a future where we won't know what's real.

And what's fake? Is this the end of truth as we know it?

And what's fake? Is this the end of truth as we know it?

I would say that we have to have two key aspects of our approach here versus. This technology is here. We can't hide from this technology, and I am all of my experience in terms of these types of big paradigm shifts, whether it was the birth of the Internet or that shift from desktop to mobile, is that it's going to lead to many, many amazing opportunities. Having said that, this is also technology that, if it's in the hands of bad actors, will reduce the cost of producing, in your example, deep fakes or misinformation to zero or very close to zero. So we have to be cognizant of that. AI is going to play a really big role in actually detecting that type of content, but also all the amazing trained professionals we have all over the world that are reviewing this content. So all of those things have to come in together.

I would say that we have to have two key aspects of our approach here versus. This technology is here. We can't hide from this technology, and I am all of my experience in terms of these types of big paradigm shifts, whether it was the birth of the Internet or that shift from desktop to mobile, is that it's going to lead to many, many amazing opportunities. Having said that, this is also technology that, if it's in the hands of bad actors, will reduce the cost of producing, in your example, deep fakes or misinformation to zero or very close to zero. So we have to be cognizant of that. AI is going to play a really big role in actually detecting that type of content, but also all the amazing trained professionals we have all over the world that are reviewing this content. So all of those things have to come in together.

It's a record election year, more than half the world is voting. How is Google going to ensure fair information and free election, especially in the age of AI.

It's a record election year, more than half the world is voting. How is Google going to ensure fair information and free election, especially in the age of AI.

We have a new policy in place that is requiring labeling of this sort of content. We won't just stop there. When people are looking for election related information on our platform. We raise up content that comes from channels that have a history of authority, and again authority not determined by me, but by third party raiders all over the world that evaluate content from these channels, So content from authoritative sources. We have an intelligence desk, and we have a capability, a Google wide capability, the Threat Analysis group that is looking for coordinated deceptive practices, state actor deceptive practices that might be using some of this technology. And finally, this is all based on a foundation of actually having policies in place that make sure that YouTube isn't a place for content that violates our election integrity policy. Our hate speech policies are harmful, criminal conspiracy policies, So all of those things have to come in to affect to make sure that we are a place where people can have open discourse around politics and elections, because YouTube is an open platform where a lot of that electoral process plays out, but also one where we're doing our best to make sure that this type of technology doesn't allow for misinformation to get distributed.

We have a new policy in place that is requiring labeling of this sort of content. We won't just stop there. When people are looking for election related information on our platform. We raise up content that comes from channels that have a history of authority, and again authority not determined by me, but by third party raiders all over the world that evaluate content from these channels, So content from authoritative sources. We have an intelligence desk, and we have a capability, a Google wide capability, the Threat Analysis group that is looking for coordinated deceptive practices, state actor deceptive practices that might be using some of this technology. And finally, this is all based on a foundation of actually having policies in place that make sure that YouTube isn't a place for content that violates our election integrity policy. Our hate speech policies are harmful, criminal conspiracy policies, So all of those things have to come in to affect to make sure that we are a place where people can have open discourse around politics and elections, because YouTube is an open platform where a lot of that electoral process plays out, but also one where we're doing our best to make sure that this type of technology doesn't allow for misinformation to get distributed.

I hear that you're the kind of leader that you know you keep cool.

I hear that you're the kind of leader that you know you keep cool.

In a crisis.

In a crisis.

What does it take to do that, especially at a company like YouTube where you know there's a lot going on on the platform every day.

What does it take to do that, especially at a company like YouTube where you know there's a lot going on on the platform every day.

You know, my wife jokes that my nickname is even Keel Neil, and that's just kind of how I've I've always been so u It's you know, I think from my standpoint, it's about keeping perspective, the bigger picture in mind, and I think that when it comes to those types of difficult moments in terms of operating our business, what I really try to fall back to are always first principles, because those difficult moments always involve making trade offs between really really tough choices, and so being grounded in a set of core principles about what truly is important for the business, what's right for our users, allows me to stay calm and actually help the teams make those types of decisions.

You know, my wife jokes that my nickname is even Keel Neil, and that's just kind of how I've I've always been so u It's you know, I think from my standpoint, it's about keeping perspective, the bigger picture in mind, and I think that when it comes to those types of difficult moments in terms of operating our business, what I really try to fall back to are always first principles, because those difficult moments always involve making trade offs between really really tough choices, and so being grounded in a set of core principles about what truly is important for the business, what's right for our users, allows me to stay calm and actually help the teams make those types of decisions.

So where does even Keel Neil want YouTube to be in five years.

So where does even Keel Neil want YouTube to be in five years.

I want to be a place where we are the best place to create, to share, to watch a video, regardless of where you are in the world or what device you're on ours. That's my vision. That's the vision for YouTube. A couple of just concrete examples are We've talked about living room growth, so that is a big area where I think we're in the very early days of the growth journey around YouTube and living rooms all over the world. We've talked about creation, AI powered creation, the fact that we have these supercomputers in our pockets, in our phones, so participatory creation, especially for younger audiences, all of us being creators. We're in the really really early days of that as well. And so those are kind of two really big trends that I see growing over the next five years.

I want to be a place where we are the best place to create, to share, to watch a video, regardless of where you are in the world or what device you're on ours. That's my vision. That's the vision for YouTube. A couple of just concrete examples are We've talked about living room growth, so that is a big area where I think we're in the very early days of the growth journey around YouTube and living rooms all over the world. We've talked about creation, AI powered creation, the fact that we have these supercomputers in our pockets, in our phones, so participatory creation, especially for younger audiences, all of us being creators. We're in the really really early days of that as well. And so those are kind of two really big trends that I see growing over the next five years.

Thank you. That was awesome. I really appreciate it. Don't forget to like and subscribe.

Thank you. That was awesome. I really appreciate it. Don't forget to like and subscribe.

I'm Emily Chang. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Emily Chang TV. You can watch new episodes of the Circuit on Bloomberg Television or on demand by downloading the Bloomberg app to your smart TV. Or on YouTube, and check out other Bloomberg podcasts on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartMedia app, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your shows, and let us know what you think by leaving a review. They really make a difference. I'm your host and executive producer. Our senior producers are Lauren Ellis and Alan Jeffries. Our editor is Alison Casey. Catch you next time.

I'm Emily Chang. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Emily Chang TV. You can watch new episodes of the Circuit on Bloomberg Television or on demand by downloading the Bloomberg app to your smart TV. Or on YouTube, and check out other Bloomberg podcasts on Apple Podcasts, the iHeartMedia app, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your shows, and let us know what you think by leaving a review. They really make a difference. I'm your host and executive producer. Our senior producers are Lauren Ellis and Alan Jeffries. Our editor is Alison Casey. Catch you next time.