YouTube removed hundreds of AI-generated Bollywood videos that garnered more than 16 million views after a Reuters investigation highlighted content similar to those in a legal challenge by celebrity couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, per Reuters.

The channel “AI Bollywood Ishq,” which hosted 259 videos – some of which included sexually explicit content – is no longer available. YouTube confirmed to Reuters that the creator deleted the channel after it appeared in their report.

“The company prohibits harmful misinformation and removes content that has been technically manipulated or doctored in a way that misleads users,” YouTube said in an email statement.

The Bachchans filed lawsuits in New Delhi seeking removal of AI-generated videos that infringe their intellectual property rights. They also challenge YouTube’s AI training policy and are seeking around $450,000 (₹4 crore) in damages from Google and websites offering unauthorized merchandise with their images.

A judge previously ordered takedown of specific YouTube links, but Reuters found hundreds of similar videos remained on the platform before the recent removals. Some videos depicted celebrities in intimate or romantic scenarios through AI manipulation.

Similar Content Challenges

This removal follows YouTube’s earlier action against AI-generated movie trailer channels. In March/April, the platform demonetized Screen Culture and KH Studio following a Deadline investigation that revealed their practices of making videos that mimicked or closely resembled official movie trailers, using metadata/format to mislead viewers.

India represents YouTube’s largest market globally with approximately 600 million monthly active users, making Bollywood content particularly significant for the platform. Some videos similar to those cited in the lawsuit remain online as of the Reuters report.

Checkout Our Latest Podcast