YouTube comes to the defense of its AI-driven moderation system after multiple creators reported sudden channel losses. Over a month ago, popular creators like Nani Josh and the SplashPlate channels were terminated for alleged policy violations. Since the platform uses a hybrid model that combines automated detection with human review, ensuring the safety of creators. The developments have drawn attention from creators and audiences to moderation and YouTube’s transparency policy in 2025.
Inside YouTube’s AI-Led Approach to Moderation
YouTube sees thousands of creators uploading to the platform daily, making the use of artificial intelligence a necessity for smooth operations. Operational efficiency can affect creators livelihoods, as their careers depend on it, including monetization and sponsorship. As AI-generated content has become common, the platform is gradually working to make the process more efficient. Amidst, creators are raising concerns. Here’s the timeline of events:
- Early November 2025 – Creator Nani Josh, with 650,000 subscribers, was terminated for spam content. allegedly, the appeal was rejected in minutes.
- Early December 2025 – SplashPlate, gaming niche channel was terminated for alleged policy violations.
- Early December 2025 – YouTube reversed the decision SplashPlate’s channel termination.
- Mid-December 2025 – YouTube CEO Neal Mohan defends AI moderation in Time Magazine
YouTube Addresses AI Moderation Over Creators Experience
In December 2025, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan gave an exclusive interview to TIME magazine, where he defended the platform’s use of AI to make YouTube more creator-friendly. Neal Mohan stated that an AI system in content moderation helps “detect and enforce on violative content better, more precisely, able to cope with scale. Every week, literally, the capabilities get better.”
Neal Mohan also addressed the broader concern around misinformation and policy enforcement. He mentioned how AI is trained to identify harmful content, while nuanced cases are handed to human reviewers. He stated that YouTube’s ‘North Star’ guiding initiative is to give everyone a voice.
Since the platform introduced over 30 AI-powered tools in 2025, YouTube is more than eager to provide a safe space for creators to grow and experiment.
Meanwhile, creators have voiced concern that the implications of channel termination can severely impact monetization and audience engagement. Experts note that AI moderation at this scale can be challenging at first and will take time to smooth out. As a creator, it is crucial to document and maintain detailed moderation records to support appeals properly.
Conclusion
As the debate continues over the role of YouTube AI moderation, the platform has repeatedly sought transparency. In 2025, it introduced a ‘second-chance’ program to help creators re-establish channels that were previously terminated. Similarly, YouTube expanded pre-publishing checks to help creators identify potential issues before the content goes live.
While YouTube continues to rely on AI to manage content at scale, it still emphasizes that creator success remains central to its ecosystem, citing investments in creator tools. As the balance rapidly grows, creators who stay up to date with policy changes can experience the platform without any hassles.