Top Creators Sound Alarm On AI Video Takeover
MrBeast Sounds the Alarm on AI Video
YouTube's most prominent creator, Jimmy Donaldson, known globally as MrBeast, has voiced significant concern over the future of the creator economy, calling the current landscape "scary times." His apprehension stems from the rapid advancement of AI video generation tools that are blurring the lines between real and artificial content.
"When AI videos are just as good as normal videos, I wonder what that will do to YouTube and how it will impact the millions of creators currently making content for a living," Donaldson stated on X. His comments follow the high-profile launch of OpenAI's Sora, a platform that can generate short-form AI videos, and Meta's similar Vibes platform.
Other major creators share these worries. YouTuber Casey Neistat, with a following of over 12.6 million, starkly described the Sora app as a "TikTok clone where every video is AI" in a recent video, highlighting the potential for a flood of synthetic content.
Interestingly, Donaldson himself has experimented with AI. He briefly launched an AI tool for generating YouTube thumbnails but retracted it after criticism from the community, promising to promote human artists instead. "I care more than any of you could ever imagine about the YouTube community," he explained. On the other hand, his nonprofit, Beast Philanthropy, has embraced AI for good, partnering with Light AI to use an AI-powered diagnostic tool in Africa.
AI's Double-Edged Sword for the Creator Economy
The rise of AI-generated video is a growing point of contention for online creators. A 2024 HypeAuditor survey revealed that while over 80% of Instagram creators use AI tools, 45% fear the technology will make it harder for human creators to stand out. A third of those surveyed also had concerns about the quality of AI-generated content.
This isn't just a future threat; AI-driven creators are already here and thriving. AI bots and virtual YouTubers (VTubers) are gaining massive followings. For example, the VTuber Bloo has amassed 2.7 million subscribers and generates millions in revenue. In another instance, Snapchat influencer Caryn Marjorie created an AI version of herself that paying "boyfriends" can talk to, earning her over $71,000 in a single week of beta testing.
A Level Playing Field or a Race to the Bottom?
Despite the widespread anxiety, some industry leaders see AI as a powerful democratizing force. Amjad Hanif, YouTube's head of creator payments and products, told Fortune that the technology could level the playing field. He argued that AI can give smaller creators access to high-end production capabilities that were previously exclusive to creators with large teams and budgets, like MrBeast.
"A lot of the effects—the visual quality, the visual imagery—up until now it’s taken a team of somebody like Jimmy to be able to produce," Hanif said. "[AI] is going to make that available to a much broader group of creators."
