YouTube sets 2026 agenda on creators, kids & AI tools

YouTube has unveiled a comprehensive 2026 agenda centred on creator-led entertainment, enhanced safety tools for children and teenagers, and expanded monetisation opportunities. A pivotal pillar of this strategy is the broader integration of artificial intelligence across content production, community moderation, and viewer features.

Neal Mohan, Chief Executive of YouTube, noted that the company is witnessing a fundamental shift in the landscape of creativity and technology. He positioned the platform as a central driver of this evolution, aiming to empower creators while maintaining a secure environment for younger audiences.

Creators and TV

YouTube said creators increasingly operate as full-scale entertainment businesses. The company pointed to larger creator studios, new formats and a stronger presence around major cultural events.

"The era of dismissing this content as simply "UGC" is long over," said Neal Mohan, Chief Executive, YouTube.

YouTube also reiterated its view that it competes directly with television viewing time, across connected TVs and mobile devices. The company cited research from Kantar, which found that if viewers in Canada could only watch one service for a year, YouTube ranked first.

Mohan also called for greater recognition of creators in mainstream entertainment award systems. "we need to see more" creators considered for the entertainment industry's biggest awards.

YouTube said it will continue spending across a range of formats. It listed long-form video, Shorts, YouTube Music and YouTube TV as focus areas.

Kids and teens

YouTube said it plans further changes aimed at younger users and parents. The company said it wants to keep YouTube as a place for discovery while giving families more control.

"This is all in service of empowering parents to protect their kids in the digital world, not from the digital world," said Mohan.

YouTube highlighted existing age-related products and controls, including YouTube Kids and supervised experiences for pre-teens. The company also referred to new updates designed to strengthen and simplify parental controls.

One feature gives parents more say over how much time children and teens spend scrolling Shorts. YouTube said parents can set the timer to zero.

Creator payments

YouTube again framed creator monetisation as a differentiator against rival video and social platforms. "YouTube remains the original and largest creator economy. Creators call us home because we offer the most stable path to earn," said Mohan.

The company said it has paid more than USD $100 billion to creators, artists and media companies over the past four years. It did not break out the figure by year or by category of recipient.

In Canada, YouTube said its creator economy contributed more than CAD $1.8 billion to GDP and supported more than 35,000 jobs. The company did not provide detail on the methodology in the statement.

YouTube also pointed to product areas linked to commerce and brand collaborations. It referenced shopping, brand deals and fan funding products, including Jewels and gifts. "We're committed to building the most diversified economy in the world - one that turns a unique vision into a sustainable, global business," said Mohan.

YouTube said it will also expand tools for brands and agencies to find and hire creators and to manage campaigns through its creator partnerships hub.

AI priorities

YouTube set out four areas for its AI work, spanning creation tools, transparency and protections, spam-like low-quality output, and viewer-facing features.

"We're focused on ensuring AI serves the people who make YouTube great - the creators, partners, and billions of viewers looking for a deeper connection to the world around them," said Mohan.

In a section on AI-assisted creation, Mohan said creators who adopt AI tools will gain an advantage, while also arguing that the technology should not replace human creativity. "AI will be a boon to the creators who are ready to lean in," said Mohan. "Throughout this evolution, AI will remain a tool for expression, not a replacement."

YouTube said more than 1 million channels used its AI creation tools daily on average in December.

On disclosure and safety, the company said it labels content created by YouTube's AI products. It said creators must disclose when they have created realistic altered or synthetic content. YouTube said it removes harmful synthetic media that violates its community rules.

YouTube also said it plans tools that address the use of a creator's likeness in AI-generated content. It linked that work to its Content ID system, which is used for copyright management on the platform.

The company also addressed what it described as low-quality AI output. Mohan said YouTube will apply existing enforcement and ranking systems used against spam and misleading behaviour. "To reduce the spread of low-quality AI content, we're actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combatting spam and clickbait, and reducing the spread of low quality, repetitive content," said Mohan.

"We're focused on ensuring AI serves the people who make YouTube great - the creators, partners, and billions of viewers looking for a deeper connection to the world around them." said Neal Mohan, Chief Executive, YouTube.

For viewers, YouTube has announced that AI tools will increasingly be integrated alongside the video experience. The company revealed that more than 20 million users utilised its "Ask" tool in December to gain deeper insights into the content they were watching.

Furthermore, YouTube reported an average of over 6 million daily viewers who watched at least 10 minutes of auto-dubbed content, highlighting the growing appetite for AI-driven accessibility. According to the platform, these core priorities will guide both product development and policy initiatives throughout the coming year.