Introduction to the Issue
Those users could become loyal to Microsoft, White said. And eventually, some users may even “get tired of bypassing the Microsoft account requirements, or Microsoft will add a new feature that they’ll happily get the account for, and they’ll relent and start using a Microsoft account,” White suggested in his video. “At least some people will, not me.” Microsoft declined Ars’ request to comment.
The Role of AI in Content Moderation
To White, it seemed possible that YouTube was leaning on AI to catch more violations but perhaps recognized the risk of over-moderation and, therefore, wasn’t allowing AI to issue strikes on his account. But that was just a “theory” that he and other creators came up with, but couldn’t confirm, since YouTube’s chatbot that supports creators seemed to also be “suspiciously AI-driven,” seemingly auto-responding even when a “supervisor” is connected, White said in his video.
Impact on Creators
Absent more clarity from YouTube, creators who post tutorials, tech tips, and computer repair videos were spooked. Their biggest fear was that unexpected changes to automated content moderation could unexpectedly knock them off YouTube for posting videos that in tech circles seem ordinary and commonplace, White and Britec said. “We are not even sure what we can make videos on,” White said. “Everything’s a theory right now because we don’t have anything solid from YouTube.”
YouTube’s Recommendations
YouTube recommends making the content it’s removing. White’s channel gained popularity after YouTube highlighted an early trending video that he made, showing a workaround to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Following that video, his channel’s views spiked, and then he gradually built up his subscriber base to around 330,000. In the past, White’s videos in that category had been flagged as violative, but human review got them quickly reinstated.
Human Review and AI
“They were striked for the same reason, but at that time, I guess the AI revolution hadn’t taken over,” White said. “So it was relatively easy to talk to a real person. And by talking to a real person, they were like, ‘Yeah, this is stupid.’ And they brought the videos back.” Now, YouTube suggests that human review is causing the removals, which likely doesn’t completely ease creators’ fears about arbitrary takedowns.
Conclusion
The situation highlights the challenges creators face with automated content moderation on YouTube. Without clear guidelines, creators are left to wonder what content is acceptable and what might lead to account strikes or removals. The lack of transparency from YouTube exacerbates the issue, leaving creators like White uncertain about their ability to continue producing content without fear of repercussions.
FAQs
- Q: What is the main issue faced by YouTube creators like White?
A: The main issue is the uncertainty and fear of arbitrary takedowns due to automated content moderation without clear guidelines. - Q: How did White’s channel gain popularity?
A: White’s channel gained popularity after YouTube highlighted one of his videos showing a workaround to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. - Q: What is the role of AI in content moderation on YouTube?
A: AI is used to catch violations, but there is a concern about over-moderation and the lack of human review in some cases. - Q: What do creators fear the most?
A: Creators fear that unexpected changes to automated content moderation could knock them off YouTube for posting ordinary and commonplace videos in tech circles.
