Some uploaded YouTube videos have been subtly augmented after upload, altering their visual appearance without creators' input. Viewers have noticed extra punchy shadows, oddly sharp edges, and a smoothed-out, plastic-like quality that changes intended aesthetics. Creators who use analog effects, such as a VCR to achieve an 80s VHS look, report that those characteristics are obscured by YouTube's filter. Popular creators suspect 'AI upscaling' is applied automatically, increasing resolution and detail in ways that misrepresent original production choices. These changes are raising concerns about perceived use of AI, deepfakes, and the erosion of audience trust in creator content.
A multimedia artist going by the name Mr. Bravo, whose YouTube videos feature "an authentic 80s aesthetic" achieved by running his videos through a VCR, wrote on Reddit that his videos look "completely different to what was originally uploaded." "A big part of the videos charm is the VHS look and the grainy, washed out video quality," he wrote. YouTube's filter obscured this labor-intensive quality: "It is ridiculous that YouTube can add features like this that completely change the content," he wrote.
In his video, Shull says he believes that "AI upscaling" is being used-a process that increases an image's resolution and detail-and is concerned about what it could signal to his audience. "I think it's gonna lead people to think that I am using AI to create my videos. Or that it's been deepfaked. Or that I'm cutting corners somehow," he said. "It will inevitably erode viewers' trust in my content."
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