YouTube bans two popular channels over AI-generated fake trailers

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YouTube has permanently banned two popular channels that had attracted millions of viewers with AI-generated fake trailers for films not yet released. As Deadline reports, the channels Screen Culture from India and KH Studio from Georgia were affected. Together, they had over two million subscribers and generated more than a billion views.

The ban was due to violations of YouTube's spam and misleading metadata policies. The channels had presented AI-generated trailers as genuine previews without adequate labeling. Although the operators sometimes added hints like “fan trailer,” “parody,” or “concept trailer,” reports indicate they later removed them once the videos had gained traction.

Systematic exploitation of the YouTube algorithm

The operators are said to have proceeded systematically. Nikhil P. Chaudhari, founder of Screen Culture, employed a team of about twelve employees. They combined clips from official trailers with AI-generated images and deliberately exploited the YouTube algorithm. For the film “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” for example, Screen Culture uploaded 23 different versions of a trailer, some of which were displayed higher in search results than the official trailer. The channels used a similar approach for HBO's Harry Potter series or Netflix's “Wednesday.”

The channels particularly often used Disney productions for their fake trailers. Disney had recently accused Google of massive copyright infringements through AI training and related services in a letter; the company explicitly mentioned YouTube in this context. At the same time, however, Disney has entered into a licensing deal with OpenAI, allowing the video AI Sora to use over 200 Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars characters. Another approach: According to Deadline, Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony have demanded that advertising revenue from AI videos featuring their content should flow directly to them.

Previous measures were unsuccessful

The two channels had already come to YouTube's attention earlier in 2025. According to Deadline, the platform had at that time removed the channels' ability to earn advertising revenue. After Screen Culture and KH Studio then added labels such as “fan-made content,” they were monetized again. When they later removed the labels and returned to their old behavior, YouTube responded with a permanent ban.

Other channels with AI trailers, boasting five- to six-figure subscriber numbers, still exist. Some protect themselves with clear indications such as “fan-made content.” Whether these labels are sufficient to avoid bans remains to be seen.

YouTube itself has not published a detailed statement but confirmed to Deadline that returning to misleading titles and descriptions violates the platform's policies. Since July 2025, YouTube has been taking stronger action against such content – mass-produced, repetitive, or AI-generated videos without discernible added value can be excluded from monetization.

AI fakes are a growing problem

The ban is part of a series of incidents where AI-generated content has caused confusion or criticism. McDonald's Netherlands recently removed an AI-generated Christmas commercial after massive criticism. An AI video about an alleged coup in France gained millions of views on Facebook before being exposed as fake – even other heads of state fell for it.

It is not known which AI tools Screen Culture and KH Studio specifically use. Systems such as Google Veo, OpenAI Sora 2, or Kling AI, which can generate videos with sound, are potential candidates. A comparison test by heise online showed that Sora 2 and Veo 3.1 in particular deliver visually convincing results, even if they still struggle with logical errors.

(mki)