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It's Monday and, at long last, Trump says the White House has a buyer for TikTok. So, what comes next?

Today’s News

CREATOR COMMOTION

MrBeast just found out creators aren’t ready for AI thumbnails

The AI tool: In 2023, MrBeast teamed up with longtime collaborator Chucky Appleby to launch ViewStats—a platform that helps creators optimize their videos by leveraging the same data sets that inform MrBeast-related decisions. For two years, the response to ViewStats was mostly positive.

Then June 20 rolled around. On that day, MrBeast (aka Jimmy Donaldson) tweeted about a new tool that would let ViewStats users generate thumbnails with AI. The idea, Donaldson said, was to offer creators a way to “take the guesswork” out of video performance by drawing “inspiration” from certain creators’ iconography.

The response: The resulting backlash was swift and brutal, with everyday YouTubers and top stars alike arguing that the model generating ViewStats’ AI thumbnails had clearly been trained on creator videos. 

After reportedly conversing with veterans like Jacksepticeye and PointCrow, Donaldson announced on June 26 that he would take down the AI thumbnail tool—which he acknowledged “fundamentally hurts creators as a whole”—to make needed changes.

The context: MrBeast has himself criticized some uses of generative AI (such as deepfake scams), and has taken steps in the past to support human thumbnail artists. Those efforts have included helping strategists get a better understanding of the emotions that perform well in thumbnails, and supporting the education of creator economy professions (including thumbnail artists) through a partnership with East Carolina University.

After removing the AI thumbnail tool from ViewStats, Donaldson said he would replace it with resources that put users in contact with thumbnail designers. That’s a significant step, but it’s unclear whether this experience will discourage YouTube’s most-subscribed-to star from engaging with genAI going forward; after all, despite his distaste for certain deepfakes, MrBeast has already lent his likeness to one of Meta’s AI chatbots.

🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

More and more creators are setting up shop in Dubai. Here’s why:

From Yes Theory to Liam Dipple, some of the world’s biggest creators are setting up shop in Dubai. We already know resources like Creators HQ—an initiative that offers Golden Visa assistance, expert-led workshops, and more—can be a big draw for digital stars. But we wanted to know, in their own words, why creators are drawn to the UAE. So, we did a little digging.

Here’s what two top creators had to say about Dubai:

Zachery Dereniowski (6.3M IG Followers, Creators HQ Founding Member): “[Dubai] is…where everyone’s coming to learn, grow, evolve, network and want bigger and better things, for not just themselves but for whatever they’re creating or envisioning in the world.”

With $40.8 million in backing and partners like Meta, X, Komi, and Colin and Samir, Creators HQ offers everything creators need to thrive in Dubai—from relocation aid to cutting-edge studio space.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• 12 million creators helped OpusClip build a product they needed. Now, the AI video clipping platform is giving one of those creators $5,000 and a masterclass with Nick Nimmin. (Tubefilter)
  
  

• A new Facebook test feature—which selects unposted media from users’ camera roll to suggest potential content—is raising concerns about AI training. (Engadget)
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• TikTok’s latest Instagram-style test feature is Bulletin Boards, a new tool that lets users share public messages with their followers. (TechCrunch)
  
  

• As rivals like Meta gear up to compete with CapCut, YouTube is bringing its own video editing app, YouTube Create, to iOS. (TechCrunch)

SETTING UP CAMP

Creator Camp wants to help creators make Hollywood-scale films

The team: A few months ago, “a tiny group of 20-year-olds” called Creator Camp revealed plans to host a 1,000-person film festival at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas. To do that, they partnered with Patreon, gave 10 creators cash to make high-production short films, and tapped industry names like Quentin Tarantino for advising and workshops.

Now, based on the success of that film fest, the team has rented a massive space to launch a creator studio.

The mission: That “internet-born film studio” aims to give successful creators the production resources they need to make Hollywood-scale films—because according to Creator Camp Chief Creative Officer Cristina Colina, “Everyone knows Hollywood is broken. But nobody’s doing anything about it.”

Colina cited YouTube’s viewership stats (which puts the platform ahead of every streaming service and TV network in the U.S.) and movie theaters’ struggle to put butts in seats as evidence that traditional entertainment “hasn’t caught up” with the digital economy. She added that “creators armed with millions of loyal fans and the skills to write, shoot, and edit are telling better stories than studios…at a penny of the cost.” Creator Camp hopes to give those innovators the leg-up they need to compete with Hollywood giants.

The stumbling block: Creator Camp’s studio so far isn’t a penny of the cost, and it might be hurting for expertise, too. Colina noted that the team “emptied our entire bank account on this office and have no idea what to do with it” because they “know nothing about the film industry.”

The CCO is right that lucrative ventures often start “with a big office and way too many ideas”—but will Creator Camp be able to overcome its limited finances and rookie film industry leadership to take on Hollywood? We’ll be watching to find out.

SAFETY FIRST

Age-restricted streams are YouTube’s newest teen safety feature

The update: YouTube is looking to protect teens by raising the minimum age for hosting live streams from 13 to 16. That new policy will go into effect on July 22, at which point streamers under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied by an adult. Chaperone can’t sit idly by while their teenage charges host streams, either. Per YouTube’s rules, “the adult has to be visibly present and engage in the livestream as much as you do so that we know that you are co-creating with them”:

The context: Watchdogs have long scrutinized platforms to determine whether they negatively affect the mental health of under-18 users. YouTube, in turn, has responded to those inquiries with a flurry of relevant features. Age-gated streams are the latest addition to that toolkit.

Other major streaming platforms have taken similar approaches to protecting young streamers. On Twitch, users older than 13 but younger than the age of majority can stream with parental supervision, and parents can also apply filters to limit the sort of content their kids can view. Instagram’s teen accounts similarly require the consent of a guardian, while TikTok Live is limited to over-18 streamers.

Despite those efforts, there are still far too many stories of predators preying on younger streamers. YouTube’s latest safety feature demonstrates the platform’s dedication to combatting that issue—which may be one reason why teens say they trust the video hub more than some of its rivals.

LISTEN UP

This week on the podcast…

“The Next Chapter”: On the latest episode of Creator Upload, hosts Josh Cohen and Lauren Schnipper are back in the studio after a whirlwind week of travel. Fresh off the plane from France, the creator economy experts are sharing key takeaways from Cannes Lions—aka the world's biggest advertising festival—and powerful insights from the StreamTV conference in Denver.

Also on the discussion list: YouTube's new "Open Call" feature, a summer trend of kid-focused content collaborations from TikTok, Mark Rober, and Cocomelon, and an expert recap of VidCon 2025 from Fixated CBO Phil Ranta.

Tune into the full episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.