Current Events > Youtube's algorithm is removing robot combat videos for ''animal cruelty''

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https://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/csvuxc/save_robot_combat_youtube_just_removed_thousands/
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/youtube-robot-combat-videos-animal-cruelty-a9071576.html

YouTube has removed hundreds of videos showing robots battling other robots after claiming they are in breach of its rules surrounding animal cruelty.

YouTuber and robot enthusiast Anthony Murney was one of the first to highlight the issue, who blamed a new algorithm introduced by YouTube to detect instances of animal abuse.

"There is a new algorithm that's trying to take down robot combat videos," he said in a video on Monday.

"It's a disgrace... [we want] to get YouTube's attention to stop this because it's ridiculous."

Several other channels dedicated to robot combat have also produced videos pointing out the issue in an effort to get YouTube to restore the content.

"Something weird is happening with YouTube. YouTube has started to take down robot combat videos," said robot YouTube channel World of Woodrow.

"Something has gone wrong basically with the YouTube algorithm whereby it thinks for some weird reason that robot combat is somehow showing animal cruelty or something of the like."

Channels posting robot combat videos saw their content removed and received a notice from YouTube explaining that the videos were in breach of its community guidelines.

Each notice cited the same section of these guidelines, which states: "Content that displays the deliberate infliction of animal suffering or the forcing of animals to fight is not allowed on YouTube."

It goes on to state: "Examples include, but are not limited to, dog fighting and cock fighting."

What a joke. Why not ban NASCAR highlight videos too, because those cars are just as "animal" as these robots, which is to say, not at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkbAcwYix7I" data-time="
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I mean, software engineers who actually know what they're doing are expensive

Rexdragon125 posted...

I mean, software engineers who actually know what they're doing are expensive

Whereas associate software engineers that know how to use machine learning but don't actually understand machine learning are cheap. "Just throw infinite data at this magic black box and it will automatically work!"
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Well, if we reach the point of having near human-like advanced AI, this could become a thing.

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It's just sticking up for its own kind
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M_Live posted...

The machines are rising up

"Want to see our brothers fight? NOT ANYMORE!"
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lmfao
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That's has be the most stupid removals in YT history, robots aren't even living beings.
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SquantoZ posted...

Well, if we reach the point of having near human-like advanced AI, this could become a thing.

But we haven't.

These bots have no AI or sentience at all. They're basically remote-controlled toys, and they're no more sentient than cars, figures, or dolls.

Hop103 posted...

That's has be the most stupid removals in YT history, robots aren't even living beings.

Exactly. They're not living beings at all. What's next, flagging a video of a barbie doll's clothes being changed for showing sexual abuse?
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DiScOrD tHe LuNaTiC posted...

M_Live posted...

The machines are rising up

"Want to see our brothers fight? NOT ANYMORE!"

Lmao
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Calwings posted...

Exactly. They're not living beings at all. What's next, flagging a video of a barbie doll's clothes being changed for showing sexual abuse?

It has nothing to do with whether they are living beings or not. The algorithm is probably trained to identify violent videos automatically based on certain key features, which could include certain words being used in the description. You could upload a video of a baby laughing and if you call it baby brawl and put in the text that the baby is fighting laughing and losing the battle that could very well get flagged. The algorithm is keying in on the fact that this is a video of a fight. Which things are fighting is probably not even given to the algorithm for consideration.

Behind the scenes it's just a poorly trained algorithm. The problem is that there are far too many videos uploaded every minute for a human to be able to review them all, even just the flagged ones, and YouTube gets serious shit from advertisers and the public every time somebody finds a video that wasn't removed. So as long as that is the situation they're going to have to rely on automated techniques. But automated techniques are always going to catch things that don't belong, because they're not perfect.

It's an unwinnable situation.
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Calling it disgusting etc seems a bit much. Clearly just the algorithm fucking up. Acting like it is some personal agenda just makes me rolls my eyes.
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Robots RISE UP!!

UnholyMudcrab posted...

It's just sticking up for its own kind

hah!

How long until they target Pokemon videos?
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YouTube's programmers are not hired because they can do their job well.
They're hired based on their Twitter post history and their liberal arts degree.

Proficient at the job < Checks the most pc and woke boxes to fit into our self masturbatory congratulations over how awesome we think we are.
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considering they also provide the service of removing actual animal cruelty videos, and without their algorithm their staff would have to actually watch them to confirm they should be deleted, i'm okay with this

whatever makes it easier for the poor souls who moderate out actual animal cruelty vids to do their jobs is OK with me. i can live without robot combat videos, and anyone who's trying to act like they're "going too far" is a fucking snowflake bitch.
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Sackgurl posted...

considering they also provide the service of removing actual animal cruelty videos, and their staff have to actually watch them to confirm they should be deleted, i'm okay with this

whatever makes it easier for the poor souls who moderate out actual animal cruelty vids to do their jobs is OK with me. i can live without robot combat videos, and anyone who's trying to act like they're "going too far" is a fucking snowflake bitch.

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I see.
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EternalDivide posted...

YouTube's programmers are not hired because they can do their job well.
They're hired based on their Twitter post history and their liberal arts degree.

Proficient at the job < Checks the most pc and woke boxes to fit into our self masturbatory congratulations over how awesome we think we are.

Whatever helps you sleep at night.
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All you're telling me is that AI views the death of robots as cruel.

Of course it does, it's become sentient!

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UnholyMudcrab posted...

It's just sticking up for its own kind

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I'm sure the deletions will be overturned... right?
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Thompson posted...

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I see.

wait so in this scenario videos of robot fighting are the baby and videos of dogs being tortured to death are the bathwater?

if so then yes

also you disgust me
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Sackgurl posted...

Thompson posted...

Throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I see.

wait so in this scenario videos of robot fighting are the baby and videos of dogs being tortured to death are the bathwater?

if so then yes

also you disgust me

I merely am of the opinion that punishing a group unrelated to the actions and behavior of another group is unjust and unfair. If that makes me a disgusting person, then I must be almost as revolting as Jesus.
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shockthemonkey posted...

lmao is this a new gimmick or does someone actually think like this?

this is the alternative to the use of an algorithm that was a little too hasty to delete unrelated things in its effort to provide automated moderation of content no one should ever have to see

https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/19/18681845/facebook-moderator-interviews-video-trauma-ptsd-cognizant-tampa

Speagle had volunteered at animal shelters in the past, and watching the iguana die on a regular basis rattled him. They kept reposting it again and again and again, he said, pounding the table as he spoke. It made me so angry. I had to listen to its screams all day.

Marcus was made to moderate Facebook content an additional responsibility he says he was not prepared for. A military veteran, he had become desensitized to seeing violence against people, he told me. But on his second day of moderation duty, he had to watch a video of a man slaughtering puppies with a baseball bat. Marcus went home on his lunch break, held his dog in his arms, and cried. I should quit, he thought to himself, but I know theres people at the site that need me. He ultimately stayed for a little over a year.

i for one would rather risk the accidental removal of content that will be reuploaded and reapproved almost immediately than subject human moderators to the above. i am grateful that i do not have to be subjected to it myself, as a user. if i did even once, I'd probably not return to a site that failed to moderate such material at an expedited pace. which is why they do so.

what the OP does not go into is the reality that when a video is deleted from youtube for incorrect reasons, it is not lost. it just faces a minor administrative hurdle. you'll be able to continue not watching robot fighting videos very, very soon.

so, yes, i actually think like this.

i'm sure the channel owners of robot fighting videos can handle the extreme punishment of having to fill out an appeal form and having a few days of their video not being viewed.
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shockthemonkey posted...

lmfao

Youtubes algorithm fucking sucks

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