YouTube doubles down on AI, brand deals and creator tools

 At its fourth Made on YouTube event, the platform laid out a broad set of AI-driven upgrades across Shorts, Studio, music, podcasts, shopping, and brand collaborations. The moves underline YouTube’s intent to retain its centrality in the creator economy while fending off rivals like TikTok, Instagram and Spotify globally.

When YouTube launched in 2005, the premise was simple: anyone with a camera could upload and share with the world. 20 years later, the company is positioning itself not just as a stage but as the backbone of a creator-led economy. 

Johanna Voolich, chief product officer at YouTube, noted in a blog that creators have defined culture and entertainment in ways once unthinkable. “Anyone with an idea, whether an individual, artist, studio, or brand, can become a creator here. And we help them turn their idea into a business: we've paid out over $100 billion to creators, artists, and media companies globally over the last four years,” she wrote. 

The figure is often cited by YouTube to highlight its economic role. Neal Mohan, chief executive officer at YouTube, added, “We didn't just create a platform. We built an economy. We see AI as the next evolution of these tools –designed to empower human creativity and storytelling. But make no mistake—no studio, network, tech company, or AI tool will own the future of entertainment. That power belongs to you; the creators.” 

Brand deals and commerce

One of the most consequential announcements concerned monetisation through brand partnerships. YouTube is moving to a dynamic sponsorship format in long-form videos. 

Todd Sherman, senior director, product management at YouTube, wrote in a blog, “Instead of permanently ‘burning in’ a sponsorship segment, creators will soon be able to dynamically insert brand segments directly into swappable slots. This new format enables you to remove the sponsorship when the deal is complete, resell the slot to another brand or eventually sell the same slot to multiple brands in different markets, transforming your videos into living assets to grow your business.” 

Creators will be able to see detailed performance insights within YouTube Studio and share them with brands. Testing is expected to begin with a small group of creators next year. 

For Shorts, creators will soon be able to add links to brand sites directly, enabling measurable conversions. YouTube argues this will allow advertisers to see the direct impact of Shorts beyond views and likes. 

To help advertisers, YouTube is expanding its creator partnerships hub inside Google Ads. Michael Beckmann, director, product management, data and creator earnings at YouTube, wrote that the hub will soon use AI to recommend creators to brands. The company also plans to connect more creators with advertisers at industry events and equip sales teams with resources to broker such partnerships. 

YouTube Shopping continues to be a key part of the platform’s commerce push. The service is expanding to more markets and merchants, with AI assisting in tagging products. The ability to add links to Shorts also fits into this strategy, placing YouTube squarely in competition with TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping. 

Shorts: AI takes centre stage 

YouTube’s short-form video product, Shorts, has become one of its fastest-growing surfaces. The company is now infusing it with Google DeepMind’s Veo 3 Fast to make video creation more automated and experimental. 

Creators can use Veo to add motion to static photos, stylise their clips in formats like pop art or origami, or insert props and objects generated from text prompts. “It generates outputs with lower latency at 480p so you can easily create video clips – and for the first time, with sound – from any idea, all from your phone,” said Dina Berrada, director of product, generative AI creation, YouTube. 

Other AI-powered add-ons include ‘Edit with AI’, which drafts a first cut from raw footage, and ‘Speech to Song’, which converts spoken dialogue into playful soundtracks. These are rolling out first in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand before expanding to more markets. 

Studio upgrades: Insight and automation 

For many creators, YouTube Studio functions as the nerve centre of their channel. The company is introducing a set of features intended to make it more of a strategic partner. 

Among these is ‘Ask Studio’, an AI conversational assistant that interprets analytics and suggests tactical steps. Amjad Hanif, vice president of creator products at YouTube, explained, “Try asking, ‘catch me up on how my last video is performing,’ or ‘tell me what my community is saying about my editing style’. It’ll provide personalised and actionable strategic insights based on knowledge of you as a creator, your channel, and how YouTube works.” 

The Studio will also offer A/B testing for titles, improvements to the Inspiration Tab, and realistic auto-dubbing with enhanced lip-syncing. Another addition is likeness detection, giving creators a way to identify and manage videos generated with AI using their facial likeness. This will soon enter open beta for all YouTube Partner Program creators. 

YouTube is also extending its creator tools into music and podcasts. Fans will now be able to pre-save upcoming albums and singles, complete with countdowns, while artists will gain options to reward top fans. 

For podcasters, the platform is rolling out AI-driven clipping for Shorts and simplified video generation from audio-only shows. These upgrades are intended to keep YouTube competitive with Spotify, Apple and Amazon, which have also been investing in podcasts as a growth lever. 

Live content remains one of YouTube’s most powerful engagement drivers. The company said over 30% of daily logged-in viewers watched live content in Q2 2025. 

Aaron Filner, senior director, product management at YouTube, drew a comparison with concerts. “When a creator calls out your handle or answers your question in the chat, that excitement is instantly shared with thousands around the world, creating a one-of-a-kind connection.” 

To reduce barriers, YouTube has built a ‘practice’ mode to let creators test their setup before going live. It is also layering in Playables — lightweight games like Angry Birds Showdown and Trivia Crack — that creators can play live with audiences while monetising the stream. 

Growing influence of influencer marketing

These announcements come as the broader creator economy matures. Platforms are increasingly competing on monetisation tools and AI-driven production features. Globally, TikTok continues to push hard into shopping and live commerce, while Meta has been integrating AI into Instagram and Facebook. Spotify is trying to consolidate its grip on podcasts and live audio. 

For YouTube, the risk is twofold. It must sustain creator loyalty while ensuring advertisers see measurable outcomes. The rollout of dynamic sponsorship slots and Shorts-linked commerce suggests a deliberate attempt to prove incremental value to brands. 

As YouTube layers AI across nearly every product surface, the platform is betting that automation and insight will deepen its hold over creators and advertisers alike. Yet, the shift also raises questions: whether audiences will engage with increasingly AI-assisted content, how creators balance authenticity with automation, and how regulators respond to likeness detection and AI-generated media. 

What is clear is that YouTube’s moves signal an acceleration in the platform wars. As Mohan put it, the company sees AI as the “next evolution” of tools for creators. For brands and agencies in India, the developments underline why YouTube remains a central pillar of marketing and media strategies — and why competition in the creator economy is far from settled. 

YouTube’s AI-led reinvention lands just as Meta doubles down on AI-powered shopping across Instagram and Facebook. Both platforms are now vying to be the go-to commerce engine for creators and brands — but the battle will hinge on whether AI-driven sponsorships and shopping links can deliver measurable outcomes without diluting authenticity. For agencies and marketers, the test isn’t choosing a platform, but learning how to recalibrate creative and media strategies in an ecosystem where AI is shaping both content and commerce.