YouTube will now guess your age using AI, and you can't lie about it

Starting August 13, YouTube is testing a new AI-powered system in the US that can figure out if you're under 18, even if you’ve entered a fake birthdate when signing up. The goal? To keep teens safer online by adding extra layers of protection and limiting exposure to potentially harmful content.

This isn’t just another algorithm tweak. YouTube’s AI will analyse things like the kinds of videos you watch, what you search for, and how old your account is. If it suspects you're a teenager, it will automatically flip the switch on a bunch of safeguards, regardless of the age you claimed during sign-up.

So what changes if the system thinks you’re under 18? For starters, YouTube will block personalised ads, restrict access to age-sensitive content, show “take a break” reminders, and reduce repeated recommendations on tricky topics like body image. It’ll also prompt extra privacy reminders when uploading or commenting.

And if the system gets it wrong? You’ll still have a way out. Users flagged as teens by mistake can prove their real age with a government ID, credit card, or even a selfie. YouTube admits it’s not a perfect system, but it’s already working well in other countries, and now it’s ready for a bigger test.

James Beser, YouTube’s Director of Product Management, says the new system will first roll out to a small group in the US to see how it performs. If all goes well, expect a global rollout soon after.

The move comes as governments around the world push tech platforms to take child safety more seriously. Countries like the UK and those in the EU have passed new rules demanding stricter age verification and content moderation.

There might be a small downside for creators, though. Since teen viewers will see only non-personalised ads, creators could see a slight dip in revenue. But YouTube expects the impact to be minimal for most channels.

At its core, this update is part of YouTube’s broader mission to build a safer platform, especially for its younger users, by leaning more heavily on machine learning and AI.