Key points:
- At present, the company is evaluating the functionality with select users.
- The new feature allows viewers to easily skip to the exact portion of the video they would like to see.
- Separately, YouTube faces criticism for its steps on its website to control fake news, conspiracy theories, and deceptive content.
- Facebook, as well as Twitter, have also come under criticism over the handling of such content on their websites, apart from YouTube.
YouTube is working on a new function that will help to create video chapters automatically. At present, the company is evaluating the functionality with select users. As yet there is no advice on the official roll-out of the feature.
On its support page, YouTube reported that to help generate video chapters, it would use machine learning. The tool is sure to benefit reduce the burden on developers to apply timestamps manually.
As stated by Youtube:
In order to auto-generate video chapters, we will use machine learning to recognize text. With a small group of videos, we’re checking this out,’ said YouTube.
If you didn’t remember, in May this year, YouTube rolled out video chapters. The new feature allows viewers to easily skip to the exact portion of the video they would like to see.
For longer video formats, such as clarifiers, round tables, interviews, and more the tool could come in handy.
Clearly, developers haven’t completely embraced the new functionality. This may be partly because the video sections rely on the producers to bring captions together with time stamps. The length of the definition could last up to 10 seconds.
In their images, a machine learning-based chapter tool could make it easier for creators to implement. That said how effective these automatically created chapters would be is yet to be seen. If it doesn’t work out, developers may be more hesitant to use it.
Criticism faced by Youtube:
Separately, YouTube faces criticism for its steps on its website to control fake news, conspiracy theories, and deceptive content.
The company has been urged by a group of US Senate Democrats should take down videos with “false as well as misleading” election content.
Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Senators Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Gary Peters of Michigan wrote, “These videos aim to weaken our democracy and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the upcoming administration of President-elect Biden.
In addition, because the current president has not committed to a peaceful transitioning of power, misinformation on your platform and manipulated media content may fuel civil unrest.”
Facebook, as well as Twitter, have also come under criticism over the handling of such content on their websites, apart from YouTube.
