On its 20th anniversary, YouTube has transformed from a scrappy platform for amateur users into a global media powerhouse. Now commanding 2.7 billion users, it’s a destination for professional-grade content from global celebrities like pop star Dua Lipa. YouTube has become the most popular way for Americans to consume TV content and is projected to surpass Disney’s media revenue this year.
At its recent “Made on YouTube” event, executives from the Google-owned company unveiled a plan for how AI will drive its future. They championed video creators as the future of media, now freed from the constraints of traditional executives. These creators will be empowered by a suite of AI-enabled tools designed to reimagine production or create entirely new content—a concept that was a major point of contention during the 2023 Hollywood strike.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and other presenters dismissed concerns that AI would replace content creators. “These are tools, and really just that,” Mohan stated. “Make no mistake: no studio, network, tech company, or AI tool will own the future of entertainment.” Instead, Mohan framed video creation on YouTube as a “viable, respectable and sustainable career path,” especially as AI becomes an integral part of the process over the next two decades.
Backed by Google’s resources and AI expertise, YouTube has extended its lead over Disney, which had been the market leader for most of 2024. According to Nielsen data, YouTube captured 13.4% of U.S. viewership in July, compared to Disney’s 9.4%. Analysts also anticipate YouTube’s revenue will surpass Disney’s this year.
The company showcased more than 30 new AI-driven tools, a three-fold increase from last year. These innovations are designed to either enhance the production workflow or generate new content altogether. Features include automatically embedding shopping links into videos, instantly creating a first edit from a collection of clips, and generating visuals for audio-only podcasts. The platform even unveiled a speech-to-song generator. According to YouTube Vice President Amjad Hanif, the rapid pace of product development is partly due to the company’s own staff using AI to accelerate their ideation process.
