2026 GUIDE
How to tell if a YouTube video is AI
Short version: check what YouTube already told you, then use your eyes, then accept that some of it will slip through. Here is how.
1. Check YouTube's own disclosure first
Creators are required to disclose realistic content that was altered or synthetically generated. When they do, YouTube adds it to the description in a section called How this was made. It reads something like Altered or synthetic content, or Sound or visuals were significantly edited or digitally generated.
For sensitive topics like news, elections, health, or finance, YouTube may also show the label right on the player.
On desktop, open the video, click the description to expand it (the "...more" link), and scroll to the bottom. If How this was made is there, that is the official answer. It is the most reliable signal you will get.
2. Other clues (hints, not proof)
- Hands with odd fingers, or text that melts into nonsense.
- Mouths that do not quite match the words.
- The same flat stock voiceover you heard on five other channels.
- Uncanny motion. Things drift, morph, or move like wet clay.
- Channels uploading lots of near-identical videos every day.
None of these prove anything. Real videos have bad lip sync too. Treat them as reasons to look closer, not as a verdict.
3. The honest limits
Plenty of AI videos are never labeled. No tool can reliably detect all of them, whatever the marketing says. Anyone promising perfect AI detection is guessing with confidence.
4. Hide the labeled ones automatically
If you would rather not expand every description, AI Slop Blocker is a free Chrome extension that hides YouTube recommendations carrying the official disclosure, on desktop Chrome. It does not guess, it does not touch the Shorts shelf or mobile, and it leaves unlabeled videos alone.
Not to be confused with the other extension called AI Slop Blocker that hides Google AI Overviews. This one is AI Slop Blocker. Hide YouTube AI Videos.
FAQ
- Does YouTube label AI videos?
- Sometimes. Creators must disclose realistic altered or synthetic content, and YouTube shows it in the description under How this was made. Not every AI video gets labeled.
- Can I hide AI videos on YouTube?
- You can hide the labeled ones. AI Slop Blocker is a free Chrome extension that hides recommended videos carrying YouTube's official disclosure on desktop.
- Does it work on Shorts or mobile?
- No. It works on desktop www.youtube.com in Chrome. It does not touch the Shorts shelf or the mobile app.
- Does it track me?
- No. No tracking and your data is not sold. Read the privacy policy.