YouTube CEO Neal Mohan: Creators are now at the epicentre of culture

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has said creators are no longer limited to bedrooms and ring lights—they are shaping culture, reaching audiences across global markets, and building businesses with international scope.

Mohan was speaking about YouTube's priorities for 2026 in an interview released by the platform.

When asked how he sees creators and artists redefining entertainment, Mohan said the creator ecosystem has moved far beyond bedrooms and ring lights. Today's leading creators, he said, are "building out their own studios,... and studio-sized lots in Hollywood," producing content across formats, platforms, and markets, while creating businesses with global reach. From Super Bowl highlights and Oscars reactions to album launches and live events, creators now occupy what Mohan called the "epicenter of culture."

"We are the world's original and largest creator economy," he stated, emphasizing YouTube's leadership with over $100 billion paid to creators, artists, media partners, and stakeholders over recent years. He underlined that this success continues to evolve.

Shopping and direct monetization tools are a priority, Mohan said, with new features allowing creators to link products directly within Shorts and enhance brand collaborations. He also promised dynamic tools enabling creators to "dynamically swap out the creative, the sponsor creative that they have been working with in their videos for another one." This illustrates YouTube's ongoing effort to diversify creator income beyond ads.

AI as a Creative and Accessibility Engine
Artificial intelligence was a key focus of Mohan's remarks. "AI plays a really big role in terms of YouTube being able to deliver for our creators as well as viewers," he said, describing investments in tools that boost creativity and productivity.

YouTube's AI suite powers features like YouTube Create, which supports Shorts creation, and innovative projects such as generating games in YouTube Playables from text prompts. He highlighted AI’s impact on fan engagement via YouTube's Ask button, which in December was used by 20 million viewers to ask creators questions about videos. AI also supports accessibility tools like auto-dubbing, enabling viewers to watch content in languages they don’t speak, used by six million viewers for over 10 minutes of watch time per video.

However, Mohan acknowledged risks around deepfakes and creator likeness, citing YouTube's "likeness detection" tools, which build on Content ID technology to help content owners manage use of their face and voice. Regarding misinformation and fabricated content, Mohan said YouTube will adopt a three-pronged strategy based on transparency, strict enforcement of community guidelines, and recommendation systems that limit low-quality or deceptive content.

Unparalleled Formats and Record Engagement
Mohan highlighted how YouTube’s variety of formats gives creators a broad platform for expression. For short-form content, he noted, "Shorts have 200 billion views a day. That continues to be an incredibly fast-growing format on YouTube, and it's an area that you'll see further investment from us in 2026."

This explosive growth in short-form content has made YouTube Shorts a powerful part of the platform, shaping trends and driving discovery. Mohan stressed, however, that long-form viewing and the living room experience remain central to YouTube’s strategy.

"The living room continues to be an area of strength and investment for us. We're coming up on three years. We're the number one streamer here in the U.S. So, to maintain that position, we're going to invest in the product," he said. Key innovations include allowing users to "choose exactly the multi-view channels that you want" and introducing "multiple tiers within YouTube TV" for more consumer choice, reinforcing YouTube's dominance in the changing TV market.

Music, Discovery, and Fan Experiences
Music remains a key growth pillar. Mohan highlighted ongoing investments in YouTube Music and the main platform, noting features that help fans "discover new artists [and] learn more about the song that you're listening to." By combining entertainment and social interaction, YouTube continues to bridge artist promotion and fan engagement.

Another theme Mohan discussed is making YouTube "the best place for kids and teens." He reiterated the platform's goal of balancing discovery with safety. "We know that YouTube from the really early days has been a place where families and young people come to learn new things," Mohan said, emphasizing that parents should control their children’s viewing. "Parents should be in control. They should make the decisions for their children, teenagers." This includes simple, easy-to-use safety controls to build trust with families.

Long-Term Outlook and Future Creators
Looking beyond 2026, Mohan shared a visionary perspective. "It might be a creator that's getting started right now, today. And who knows the type of content they will create... And they may be the world's biggest, most important creator a few years down the road," he said, highlighting YouTube’s ethos of limitless opportunity.

All of this unfolds against a backdrop of strong financial performance. In 2024, YouTube generated approximately $54.2 billion in revenue, including over $36 billion from advertising and around $14 billion from subscriptions such as YouTube Premium and Music, reflecting year-on-year growth.

Advertising strength was notable in Q4 2024, with ad revenue reaching $10.5 billion, a double-digit increase year-on-year, demonstrating continued appeal to brands.

These results position YouTube as a leading global media business, rivaling traditional entertainment companies and reinforcing its significance to Alphabet’s growth.

Mohan concluded that the most important creator of tomorrow "is probably a creator that none of us have heard of," underlining YouTube's belief that the platform's greatest innovation lies in the potential of its community.