On its 20th anniversary, YouTube has emerged as the new leader of the U.S. media industry, unveiling an aggressive push into artificial intelligence to transform content creation and surpass Disney’s media dominance.
Commanding 2.7 billion users worldwide, YouTube has become America’s most popular platform for watching television and is projected to overtake Disney’s media revenue this year, according to Nielsen data and analyst forecasts. In July alone, YouTube captured 13.4% of U.S. viewership compared to Disney’s 9.4%.
At the platform’s Made on YouTube event on Tuesday, CEO Neal Mohan said AI will be central to empowering content creators over the next two decades. He stressed, however, that AI would not replace human creativity.
“These are tools, and really just that,” Mohan said. “Make no mistake: no studio, network, tech company, or AI tool will own the future of entertainment.”
Backed by Google’s market-leading AI capabilities, YouTube introduced over 30 new tools — three times more than last year — to streamline and revolutionize video production. Features include automatic embedding of shopping links, instant editing of clips into first cuts, AI-generated videos for audio podcasts, and a speech-to-song generator.
YouTube has paid creators more than $100 billion over the past four years, Mohan revealed. Many top YouTubers, including Dua Lipa, Mark Rober, Smosh and Brandon B., have reinvested their earnings into studio-style production facilities to produce increasingly professional-grade content rivaling Hollywood output.
Analysts at MoffettNathanson predict YouTube’s revenue will surpass Disney’s $60 billion media haul from 2024, cementing its position as the world’s most powerful media platform.
With AI speeding up its product roll-out and deepening its support for creators, YouTube appears set to redefine the future of entertainment — and the business of content creation — for years to come.
