YouTube is using AI to verify user age based on viewing habits

In brief: YouTube is expanding its use of AI to determine if someone is 18 years old or older in the US. The platform is using machine learning to assess user behavior and estimate a person's age based on the content they watch and search for.

YouTube writes that it will use AI to determine if a signed-in user is over or under 18 based on the types of videos they search for, the categories of videos they have watched, or how long they have held an account – regardless of what birthday they put down on their account.

Should someone be flagged as being underage by the system, YouTube will automatically apply its age-appropriate experiences and protections. These include disabling personalized advertising, activating wellbeing tools, and adding safeguards to recommendations – such as limiting repetitive views of certain types of content.

Should the system incorrectly identify someone as under 18 ...