Google makes it easy to deepfake yourself

The Verge / 4/9/2026

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Key Points

  • YouTube Shorts is rolling out an AI-powered feature that lets creators create realistic “avatars” that can look and sound like them for use in Shorts videos.
  • The avatar can be inserted into existing Shorts or used to generate entirely new videos, lowering the barrier for realistic self-cloning.
  • Google positions the feature as a safer and more secure way to use AI to create content while it continues to face challenges around deepfakes and impersonation.
  • The move highlights YouTube’s ongoing tension between expanding generative capabilities and limiting misuse such as AI scams and low-quality “AI slop.”

YouTube Shorts is rolling out a new AI-powered feature giving creators an easy way to realistically clone themselves on camera. The launch, hinted at earlier this year, reflects the platform's fraught relationship with AI-generated content, adding more generative features while struggling to contain AI slop, deepfake scams, and impersonations.

YouTube says the new tool will let users create a digital version of themselves, called an avatar, that can be inserted into existing Shorts videos or used to generate entirely new ones. The company said avatars will "look and sound like you," framing them as a safer and more secure way to use AI to …

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