YouTube is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and continues to evolve, with artificial intelligence (AI) as its ally. From an online platform full of rough, raw videos from young creators, it has evolved into one of the biggest pillars of the global entertainment industry. With 2.7 billion users and with celebrities like Dua Lipa uploading professional-level content, YouTube has now surpassed the boundaries of the “video-sharing site” and competes with giants like Disney (in viewership and revenue).
The new era: Artificial Intelligence everywhere
At its annual “Made on YouTube” event, the platform’s management presented its strategy for the coming decades. CEO Neal Mohanput Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the center, not as a replacement for creators, but as a tool that will empower them. “The tools are just that – tools. The future of entertainment will not belong to any technology, but to the creators themselves,” he emphasized.
This philosophy stands in stark contrast to the suspicion that prevailed in Hollywood in 2023, when screenwriters and actors went on a months-long strike, fearing that Artificial Intelligence would threaten jobs. YouTube is attempting to show that technology can coexist with creativity, reducing production costs and paving the way for more innovative projects.
See also: Snapchat Imagine Lens: Creating AI images through text prompts
New tools for new possibilities
The company unveiled more than 30 new tools, almost all powered by AI. From automatically embedding shopping links in videos to AI video editors that compose complete clips in minutes, YouTube is redefining the way creators approach production.
From hobby to professional career
One of Mohan’s key messages was that YouTube is no longer just an entertainment platform, but a “viable and sustainable career path.” The company has already paid out more than $100 billion to creators in the past four years, proving that content creation can support entire careers —and at incomes that rival those in the traditional entertainment industry.
It's no coincidence that many YouTubers invest their earnings in professional studios, adopting production standards that hark back to Hollywood. Thus, the platform has transformed into a new entertainment ecosystem, where viewers watch creators with millions of subscribers as they would watch prime-time television shows.
Competition with traditional giants
YouTube's statistical dominance is undeniable. According to Nielsen, in July 2025 it recorded 13.4% of TV viewing in the US, surpassing Disney, which was limited to 9.4%. MoffettNathanson analysts even estimate that YouTube's revenue this year will surpass Disney's, which reached $60 billion in 2024.
See also: ChatGPT lets you choose different personalities
This event marks a historic turning point: for the first time, a platform born on the Internet, without television channels, film studios or theme parks, directly threatens the primacy of the traditional "king" of entertainment.
The next day of entertainment
YouTube’s 20-year journey shows how entertainment is moving from central screening rooms to personal screens. “Made for TV” is giving way to “made on YouTube,” and the difference is fundamental: here the audience is not a simple consumer, but an active participant, subscriber, commentator and often creator.
The challenge for YouTube will be to balance creator freedom with platform accountability. The spread of fake news, misinformation, and copyright abuse remain issues that require ongoing management. However, with Google’s financial strength and technological superiority in AI, YouTube has all the makings to dominate well into its third decade.
See also: Baidu: AI video generator and search engine upgrade
YouTube is entering the "arena" stronger than ever. It has transformed from a platform for experimentation by young creators into a global entertainment giant that threatens traditional players of decades. With Artificial Intelligence at its core, it aspires to offer not only content, but also tools that will shape the future of creation.
