YouTube launches AI avatars for Shorts creators that look and sound like you

At a time when the internet is pushing back against AI slop flooding feeds and creeping into game development, YouTube is doubling down on AI features. This time, it is bringing a tool that lets creators build photorealistic AI avatars of themselves for use in Shorts. YouTube is framing the tool as a way to give creators more control over their digital identity and make content creation more flexible. Instead of repeatedly filming themselves, creators can rely on an avatar built using their own face and voice to do the heavy lifting.

Setting up an avatar is a one-time process that can be done through either the YouTube or YouTube Create app. Users capture a live selfie that also records their voice, with the system prompting them to read specific phrases to capture facial expressions and speech patterns. Once done, the system generates a realistic digital version of the user ready for use in short video clips.

From there, creating content is straightforward. Type in a prompt, wait for the AI to generate a clip of up to eight seconds, and stitch multiple clips together to produce a complete Short. YouTube also lets you add your avatar to eligible existing Shorts by tapping "Remix," then "Reimagine" with your avatar selected.

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Users have full control over their avatars, including the ability to delete them at any time. Any video featuring your avatar can also be deleted, and you can limit who can remix your content. However, one caveat is that deleting a video that includes your avatar will not delete the original video or remove the avatar from your account. YouTube will automatically delete any avatar that has not been used to generate new content for three years.

For transparency, any video generated using an avatar will carry YouTube's AI disclosure label, along with visible watermarks including SynthID and C2PA metadata. The rollout has begun globally for users aged 18 and above, with Europe currently excluded. Wider availability is expected in the coming days.