AI tools can help 'fuel creativity' by cutting out 'drudgery' of work, YouTube exec says

AI tools can "fuel creativity" by eliminating some of the "drudgery" from work, according to a YouTube executive.

Steve McLendon, podcast expert and group product lead at YouTube, made these comments as the Google-owned video platform celebrated hitting one billion monthly users for podcast content for the first time.

While there are concerns about the potential impact of generative AI tools on employment, with fears that AI could take over administrative tasks in the future, Mr McLendon believes such tools will actually assist workers, especially those in creative roles.

They would be freed from admin tasks to concentrate on "the things they want to do". He said: "I think as it related to podcasts and creators – really creators across YouTube – I think a lot of these AI products really are tools that will help fuel creativity,"

He added: "If you think of the creation process, there's a lot of drudgery in that process, and certainly from my team's perspective, we're trying to think about ways to help creators be more creative and have more time to do the things that they want to do, as opposed to some of the drudgery work.

"And that's where I think that AI tooling is actually going to unlock a tremendous amount of value for creators, so really excited to see where that goes."

Google grabbed the spotlight last year when it introduced an audio feature to its AI-driven research tool, NotebookLM, transforming hefty texts like reports into AI-generated audio that mimics a podcast. Mr McLendon remarked that the tool generally uses just two voices and maintains a consistent tone regardless of the subject matter, hinting that it's not quite ready to compete with human podcasters.

However, he did note its potential for personal productivity: "So, I have a long article, or a 50-page document, I don't have time to read it. Maybe I want to listen to a summary of it and be able to engage with it that way," he explained. Reflecting on YouTube's podcast achievement, he pointed out the surge in podcast popularity as a broadcasting form in recent years, drawing parallels to how television once transformed broadcast entertainment into a household staple.

"I'm not sure that people really think of how big and prevalent podcasting is – certainly, they don't think about how big and prevalent podcasting is on YouTube," he observed. He emphasized the global connection podcasts have made with listeners, stating, "It speaks to how podcasts have really connected with audiences all around the world."

Mr McLendon believes broadcasting has evolved, adding, "I think video has been an accelerant to podcast engagement and audience building in particular – podcasts are oftentimes really intimate – you have a relationship with the person you listen to in your ear every day, and being able to see that person I actually think really deepens that relationship.

"It's funny, I also think that television served that purpose in people's homes for a long time – televisions were like radios in people's homes – and if you think of YouTube as evolving what television is, it's unsurprising that it's also evolving what radio is, particularly in the home."