YouTube’s 2025 roadmap has four big bets, and only one focuses on AI
Summary
- YouTube has made four ‘Big Bets’ for 2025. The platform aims to remain the ‘epicenter of culture,’ solidify its position as ‘the new television,’ enhance AI-powered tools for a better user experience, and more.
- YouTube plans to improve podcast monetization, introduce better discovery tools, and expand revenue options for creators, including ads, memberships, and shopping recommendations.
- The company will expand AI-driven tools like auto-dubbing, introduce machine learning for age estimation to enhance child safety, and refine TV-based viewing experiences with interactive second-screen features.
2025 marks YouTube’s 20th year in existence, and the streaming giant is already looking to dominate the next 20. In a new blog post, the platform’s CEO Neal Mohan laid down four ‘big bets’ for 2025, essentially outlining what creators and viewers can expect from the platform.
These include ensuring that YouTube remains the “epicenter of culture,” supporting YouTubers in becoming “the startups of Hollywood,” solidifying the streaming platform’s position as “the new television,” and using AI to make YouTube a better platform for everyone.
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Opening the doors, but not completely
According to the tech giant, quoting an Edison Research report, YouTube is now the most frequently used service for listening to podcasts in the US. Mohan says that the platform will continue providing an avenue for free speech and creative expression. Mohan highlighted the lead up to the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, quoting Joe Rogan’s podcast episode with Donald Trump as a major example of the platform’s draw. The episode gained 55 million+ views, while similar content on just the election day garnered over 45 million unique viewers.
In 2025, YouTube plans to improve the podcast monetization model, add more tools for podcast creators, and make it easier for creators to be discovered.
Speaking of monetization, the streaming giant highlighted that it is committed to helping creators “with tools and features that power their businesses and communities,” with continued support via “traditional revenue streams like ads and YouTube Premium.” Mohan highlighted other avenues on YouTubers are making a living on the platform, including shopping recommendations and channel memberships.
Machine learning to make the platform safer for everyone
YouTube also intends to continue investing in AI tools, adding to a suite of creator-focused features like its GenAI content inspiration tool, Dream Screen, Dream Track, and auto-dubbing. The streaming giant pointed out the success it has seen with the auto-dubbing tool, saying that “for videos with dubbed audio, more than 40% of the total watch time comes from viewers choosing to listen in a dubbed language.” In 2025, YouTube aims to roll out the feature to all creators in its Partner Program, alongside expanding support to more languages.
Elsewhere, it appears that the streaming giant is finally ready to tackle one of the platform’s most significant problems — its inability to protect young users. In 2025, YouTube aims to use Machine Learning (ML) to estimate users’ age, allowing it to tailor the user experience accordingly and provide “the best and most age appropriate experiences and protections.” YouTube didn’t highlight how exactly the new measures will work, but at least they’re a step in the right direction.
Fun fact: TVs are now the primary viewing device for YouTube users in the US, with over 1 billion hours of YouTube content consumed on just TVs daily. “We’ll continue to improve fan-favorite YouTube TV features, like Key Plays and multiview,” wrote the streaming giant, all while highlighting new experimental features like a second screen experience that allows users to interact with a video on their TV directly with their phone and Watch With, which allows creators to provide live commentary on events.
