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Christian content creators are outsourcing AI slop to gig workers on Fiverr

2026-05-01T15:23:22-04:00

In the beginning, platforms like Fiverr were places where people could hire freelancers to do specialized creative labor using skills that took years to develop. In the age of generative AI, though, many of these gig workers have embraced the technology in order to meet clients' demands. These workers' profiles emphasize that they can quickly (and cheaply) whip up images and videos of just about anything. But often, what their clients are looking for are dramatic animations inspired by the Christian Bible.

On TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook it is very easy to stumble across AI-generated clips that retell stories from the Bible. Lik …

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Google TV is getting a dedicated row for YouTube Shorts

2026-04-29T12:11:46-04:00

Here’s what the new short videos row will look like after it rolls out this summer. | Image: Google

Google is making it easier to jump into watching YouTube Shorts on its TV devices without having to open the dedicated YouTube app. The Google TV homepage will soon introduce a new "Short videos for you" row that features a feed of personalized videos.

The update is expected to roll out to Google TV devices in the US sometime this summer, though Google didn't specify an exact date. The company did say, however, that the videos showcased via this feature will start with YouTube Shorts, which suggests that similar vertical video hosting services like TikTok and Instagram's Reels may also eventually be supported.

The short video homepage row …

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It’s primetime for conspiracy theorist video creators

2026-04-28T19:31:53-04:00

In the days since this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner was cut short when shots were fired at the event, there has been a boom of conspiracy theory videos created by people who insist that the entire situation was a false flag operation. These kinds of theories are nothing new, but the way they're spreading now is a reflection of how reaction video culture is reshaping our social media landscape. And even though the initial chaos around the shooting has started to die down, content creators are still posting about what "really" happened.

There is still much we do not know about Cole Allen, the 31-year-old suspected shooter who a …

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Now YouTube TV lets you multiview any channel you want

2026-04-28T15:46:19-04:00

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced Tuesday that YouTube TV is getting "fully customizable" multiview. Users have "full control to mix and match live streams" and can "build the personalized viewing experience you've been asking for," Mohan says. You can pin up to four streams in your multiview window.

YouTube initially introduced multiview in a more limited form in 2023 as a way to watch preselected streams of sports content like March Madness, and soon after expanded it to preselected streams on topics like news, business, and weather programming. Last year, YouTube rolled out an experiment letting users build their own multiviews with "sel …

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Google is testing AI chatbot search for YouTube

2026-04-28T05:44:18-04:00

Google is trying out an AI Mode-like search experience for YouTube. The company is now testing "a new way to search on YouTube that feels more like a conversation," with results pulling in things like longform videos, YouTube Shorts, and text about what you're searching for. The "experiment" is now available if you're a YouTube Premium subscriber in the US who is 18 or older.

I turned it on for my account. Now, in the search bar, I see an "Ask YouTube" button, and clicking the search bar shows prompts to ask like "funny baby elephant playing clips," "summary of the rules of volleyball," and "short history of the Apollo 11 moon landing." If …

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Former MrBeast exec sues over ‘years’ of alleged harassment

2026-04-22T16:09:49-04:00

A former employee of Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson has filed a lawsuit alleging that she faced "intentional infliction of emotional distress" from harassment at the YouTuber's production company, was asked to work during maternity leave, and was wrongfully fired just a few weeks after returning from leave. According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Lorrayne Mavromatis and other female employees were demeaned by their male colleagues, who perpetuated a toxic, "male-centric workplace."

Mavromatis was one of the few women in the executive suite at Beast Industries before she was fired. The lawsuit claims that she faced unwanted sexual advances and comme …

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Celebrities will be able to find and request removal of AI deepfakes on YouTube

2026-04-21T13:30:24-04:00

YouTube is expanding its AI deepfake monitoring feature to Hollywood - meaning some celebrity AI videos could soon disappear.

The platform's likeness detection feature searches YouTube for AI deepfake content and flags it for public figures enrolled in the program. Public figures can use it to keep track of AI content on YouTube of themselves or request removal (takedowns are evaluated against YouTube's privacy policy, and not every request will be approved). YouTube began testing the feature with content creators last fall; in March, the company expanded the program to politicians and journalists. YouTube says the tool will cover celebriti …

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YouTube’s mobile app finally lets you share timestamped videos

2026-04-16T19:32:16-04:00

YouTube is making some changes that might affect how you share videos from the mobile app. From the app, you can finally share videos from a specific timestamp, which will make it easier to point someone to a part of a video you might want them to see while you're on your phone. However, this change will replace the Clips feature that lets you make a shareable clip from a video.

You'll still be able to watch any Clips that you've already made. But moving forward, "the ability to set an end time or include a custom description when sharing will no longer be available," YouTube says. The company notes that while clipping is "important way for …

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YouTube now lets you turn off Shorts

2026-04-16T05:26:50-04:00

YouTube's time management settings now have an option to put a zero-minute time limit on Shorts, effectively removing them from your app in Android and iOS. The option is an update to the Shorts timer YouTube originally announced in October; the lowest previous option was 15 minutes.

The feature was expanded in January to give parents some control over how long their kids spend scrolling through Shorts, with an option for zero minutes "coming soon." According to YouTube spokesperson Makenzie Spiller, the option to set the timer to zero is now "live for all parents, and is currently being rolled out to everyone," including users with regula …

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Justin Bieber’s YouTube Coachella set had nothing to do with who owns his music

2026-04-19T12:25:43-04:00

This past Saturday at the Coachella music festival, Justin Bieber played the first of two headlining sets in a deal reportedly worth $10 million. It was his most significant solo performance in years. But Bieber spent some of his time on stage the way many of us do on Saturday nights: on YouTube. For some of the set, Bieber played parts of his older songs right off YouTube from a Mac laptop. Behind him, on the stage's screen, you could see YouTube's website as he searched for songs in real time and then put the videos on full-screen while he sang along on stage.

"I'm sorry to cut it, but these are little snippets. I just want to see how fa …

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