AI in YouTube: Choosing an Idea, Starting an English Channel and Creating Content on Mobile (Webinar Summary)

The webinar is in Persian (35 minutes). If the video does not load, watch it directly on YouTube. This article is an English summary of its main points.

How far can we go in using AI to create YouTube content, and where is the line between creative use of AI and mass-producing repetitive videos with no script? That was the central question of a free webinar from Shahryar YouTube Academy held in Aban 1405 (November 2026). This article summarizes its main points, from finding an idea and choosing between a face and faceless channel to the reasons for publishing in English, creating content on a phone, and the limits of using AI on YouTube.

Where does a YouTube channel idea come from?

According to the presenter, everything on YouTube comes back to the idea, and you can start with very few resources. But the idea should come from two sources, and your job is to find where they overlap:

• Expertise: What do you really know or have experience in? A degree, skills such as programming or languages, or fields you have read many books on.
• Interests: What do you love learning and talking about, even if you are not yet an expert? Football, cooking, cinema or animals, for example.

The webinar’s practical advice is to write both lists on paper and find their common point. If you have interest without expertise, you cannot speak in depth about the topic; and if you have expertise without interest, it is hard to keep going. A common trap is looking at a channel that gained a lot of subscribers with AI and trying to copy exactly that.

Face or faceless channel?

There are two main models:

• Face cam: You speak to a camera or webcam yourself.
• Faceless: No face appears in the video, and the content is built with voice, images or animation.

The webinar’s suggestion: if you are shy or introverted, go for a faceless idea and do not force yourself in front of a camera. Make this decision before you start producing.

Why is it better to publish in English?

The presenter argues that English channels earn more than Persian ones and explains his own experience: advertisers place ads on monetized channels and expect sales and a return on investment, but many Persian-speaking viewers watch through VPNs and IP addresses from other countries and do not generate sales. According to him, YouTube detects these viewers, so Persian channels show fewer ads and their revenue has dropped close to zero. This reflects the presenter’s experience and view, not an official YouTube statement.

The most important point is that fear of the language should not stop you:

• You do not need an IELTS or TOEFL certificate or an American accent.
• If your English is not strong, you can use AI tools to translate and dub your content from your own language into English.
• Write video descriptions yourself in your own language, then translate them with AI assistants, but edit the result and do not copy it verbatim from a chatbot.

Inspiration or copying?

One of the webinar’s key warnings is the difference between these two. Inspiration means taking ideas, structure or format from successful channels and making your own content; copying means downloading and re-uploading someone else’s content. According to the presenter, YouTube has strict rules (copyright, strikes and community guidelines) and a channel that produces copied or repetitive content runs into trouble very quickly. For more on YouTube’s latest changes here, read our article on the YouTube Shorts algorithm update and original content.

Can you do YouTube with only a phone?

The webinar’s answer: partly yes, but not entirely.

• Shorts (short vertical videos under 3 minutes): You can shoot, edit and upload them entirely on a phone, including writing tags and descriptions.
• Long videos (horizontal 16:9): You can film with a phone, but editing and rendering a long video on a phone puts heavy strain on it. For more professional editing use a computer; tools such as Adobe Premiere for professionals and CapCut for simpler editing were mentioned.
• Channel management: You need both YouTube apps (the regular app and YouTube Studio), each with its own role. For analytics, channel verification and full use of YouTube Analytics, working on a laptop or computer is also necessary.

On equipment, the advice was that you do not have to buy an expensive microphone to start; you can work with cheaper gear, and phone camera quality is good enough for filming.

AI in content creation: a double-edged knife

The final part of the webinar covered the limits of using AI. The main message: AI is an assistant tool, not a complete replacement for you. If you hand the whole channel to AI and make short, repetitive videos with no script, you risk the “AI slop” label (low-value, mass-produced AI content) and problems with monetization.

The three-element rule: keep one of them yourself

According to the presenter, the three main elements of any content are voice, visuals and script, and you should produce at least one yourself:

• Script: The idea and text should be handwritten or human.
• Visuals: The video should feature your own face or real footage.
• Voice: It should be your own voice (even if it is later dubbed into English).

If all three are produced with AI, the chance of an AI slop label and of being rejected for monetization goes up. He also stressed that YouTube is sometimes stricter than necessary and that nothing is guaranteed.

Tools mentioned in the webinar

• Text assistants (such as ChatGPT and Claude): For help with scriptwriting and idea generation. According to him, ChatGPT alone cannot “render” a 30-minute video, because it is not a video-generation model.
• Video generation models (such as Kling and Google Flow): Good quality, but expensive or heavily limited, and they usually produce scenes of 10 to 30 seconds, not long videos.
• Dubbing and language conversion (such as HeyGen): Suitable for dubbing into English. The free account gives you a little time, and the professional version costs more.
• Platforms that bundle image and video models (such as Higgsfield): They offer varied models but come with high monthly costs.

Key point on costs: before entering this path, compare the monthly cost of tool subscriptions with your expected income; production with professional tools can get past a beginner’s budget very quickly.

An important limit: watch time of long videos

AI videos are usually short and do not produce a 30-minute video in one go. Yet the well-known requirement for entering YouTube’s monetization program (YPP) is 4,000 hours of watch time on horizontal long videos. Always check the exact and current requirements in the monetization section of YouTube Studio.

Conclusion and practical steps

1. Write your list of expertise and your list of interests, and find their common point.
2. Decide whether you want a face or faceless channel; if you are introverted, consider faceless.
3. If you are not fluent in English, use translation and dubbing tools, but keep control of the script yourself.
4. Make Shorts on your phone, but keep a computer for channel management and for editing long videos.
5. Always produce at least one of voice, visuals or script yourself.
6. Take inspiration; do not copy.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a language certificate to publish on YouTube in English?

No. According to the webinar, you do not need IELTS or TOEFL. You can translate and dub with AI tools, but the idea and script should be yours.

Can I run a YouTube channel with just a phone?

You can make and publish Shorts entirely on a phone. But channel management, analytics and professional editing of long videos also need a computer.

What does AI slop mean?

An informal label for low-value, repetitive, mass-produced content made with AI without an idea or script. To avoid it, make at least one of voice, visuals or script yourself.

Is a faceless channel better than a face-cam channel?

It depends on your personality and goals. If you are not comfortable in front of a camera, a faceless channel is a better choice.

Can I study other creators’ content for ideas?

Yes, but only for inspiration in idea and structure. Downloading and re-uploading someone else’s content is copying and runs into YouTube’s rules.

What do you think?

Which part of content creation do you leave to AI, and which part do you do yourself? Share your view in the comments. According to the presenter, later webinars will no longer be published on the channel, and questions are followed up in the academy’s Telegram channel. Thanks also to the EAKA group for supporting the Shahryar YouTube Academy.

Source: the video “Choosing an idea, working in English and creating content with a phone” on the Pooya Shahryar YouTube and AI Education channel (in Persian)