Oct 14, 2026 [[read-time]] minute read
A recent report put out by YouTube’s Culture & Trends team titled “Human Creativity and AI,” found that amid skepticism about the benefits of generative video, many are beginning to use it in a personal capacity to explore personal identity and share passions.
Explore how technology is changing personal expression in the full report
To learn more about GenAI-powered creativity, the YouTube Culture & Trends team researched the world’s major generative video trends from the past year and ran surveys with NRG, asking thousands of people about their interests and attitudes toward generative AI. Respondents were people who are active online, age 14–44. Below, we explore the core findings of the report and what it means for human creativity.
Despite popular skepticism of the role generative tools are playing in video creation, using this technology in content creation is already surprisingly common. 72% of uploaders (surveyed video posters aged 14–44) say they use AI on videos or images. 1 Rather than using it strictly for utility, people use it to insert themselves into content and play at being the director of their own lives. More than two-thirds of people who post AI videos say they have featured themselves in their content.
Many popular trends enable uploaders to weave AI imagery into a visual record of their personal identity exploration. By using it to visualize their complex emotions, people turn knotty feelings into cathartic imagery that others can empathize with. In “hug your younger self” videos, for example, people animate and interact with childhood photos to express emotions that are difficult to put into words. Through comments and video responses, these videos became a social experience that evoked nostalgia and an emotional rapport with other participants.
61%
61% of surveyed video posters in the past year (online 14- to 44-year-olds) agree that they're interested in using AI to insert themselves into content.
Hobbyists are removing the constraints of reality and discovering fresh approaches to personal passions. Prospective fashion designers turn flat sketches into photoreal runway looks, while fans visualize themselves in tactile cosplay or generate novel fan fiction—such as Minecraft creator Kristufer hosting ASMR mukbangs inside fictional block-world restaurants.
The same force that has always propelled online video: the timeless human need for self-expression. Generative AI creativity can be particularly valuable when it deepens the connection between people and their communities, whether its creators with expansive creative visions or people with very specific and personal shared interests.
Read the full report to explore case studies and data breakdowns on how creators are unlocking new forms of personal expression.
