I’m often searching YouTube for the latest movie trailers, full of excitement for the next big release. However, I typically find the results full of AI-generated trailers, sometimes ranking higher than the real trailer from the studio’s official channel. I bet you’ve experienced the same. Now, YouTube is finally doing something about that.
As reported by Deadline, YouTube has closed two channels that specialize in these slop videos, Screen Culture and KH Studio. Together, the channels had over 2 million subscribers and over 1 billion views across thousands of videos.
These fake trailers typically use small amounts of real footage or images alongside heavy use of AI-generation. Sometimes the trailers are for real upcoming shows or movies, like Supergirl and Avengers: Doomsday. Other times they are for entirely fictional productions, capitalizing on popular fancasting, like Sydney Sweeney in an adaptation of DC Comics’ Power Girl or Keanu Reeves leading a Ghost Rider movie.
The aim of these videos is clear: to deceive people into clicking and thinking they’re watching something genuine, and thus generating ad revenue for the channels. If you’re unfamiliar with the particular look that generative AI videos have, or aren’t up to date with entertainment news, it’s an easy mistake to make. I’ve had friends forward me these trailers, thinking they’re real.
Earlier this year, Deadline also reported that YouTube had suspended ad revenue on videos owned by Screen Culture and KH Studio. At the time, Deadline claimed that some studios like Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony had secretly asked YouTube to direct the ad revenue from these AI videos their way.
Screen Culture and KH Studio returned to monetization after adding terms like “fan trailer” to the titles, but those tags weren’t applied consistently recently. Now, when you visit the channels, you’re met with the standard YouTube error screen that says, “This page isn’t available.”
In my eyes, the closure of these channels is excellent. I hope YouTube not only sticks by the decision but also extends it to other channels that exist solely to pump out copyright-infringing videos that hold no cultural value. The platform should also force everyone to clearly disclose when they’ve used generative AI, like the video game storefront Steam does. That way, those who don’t wish to consume it can avoid it.
Sure, some modern trailers spoil movies, but at least you know you’re watching real footage that genuinely comes from the movie. Or that the movie even exists in the first place!
Source: Deadline
