YouTube Experiments With Notes for Adding Context to Videos

YouTube will ask viewers whether a given note is helpful and why. They can determine whether it uses accurate sources and unbiased language, for example. The company will use an algorithm to determine whether the notes are generally useful. According to the company, you'll be more likely to see a note if people who were skeptical of other notes found one helpful. Ideally, the system will improve as more ratings are added.

The experiment is initially only available on mobile to English-language users in the United States, with third parties evaluating its usefulness to help train the system.  YouTube warned that there will be "mistakes," such as mismatched or incorrect notes. The firm expects to refine the results and will solicit feedback from all parties involved.

The challenge will be to maintain accuracy. There is a risk that people will use notes to sink videos that they dislike. However, the pilot will theoretically detect those misuses and assist YouTube in developing strategies to prevent them if and when notes become widely available.