iWorld
Youtube rolls out major creator and monetisation upgrades
New tools, bigger thumbnails and shopping perks aim to keep the platform ahead in the video race.
MUMBAI: Youtube has just turned up the volume on its creator tools because when the competition is fierce, even the biggest platform knows it needs to hit refresh. Neal Mohan, CEO of Youtube, has announced a wide-ranging set of platform updates designed to boost creator tools, open new monetisation avenues and enhance the overall user experience. The changes span content discovery, advertising solutions, safety features and global partnerships.
Among the most practical improvements, Youtube has increased the maximum thumbnail file size from 2MB to 50MB, allowing creators to upload higher-quality visuals for their videos. The platform has also expanded access to localised thumbnails, enabling creators to tailor video previews for different regions and audiences.
On the monetisation front, Youtube has widened access to its Shopping Affiliate programme, giving more creators the ability to earn through product recommendations. It has also introduced a unified advertiser and creator suite called Youtube Creator Partnerships, aimed at streamlining brand collaborations and campaign execution.
Creative tools are receiving a boost with expanded access to Effect Maker, a web-based platform that allows creators to build interactive effects. The tool now integrates with Veo 3, further advancing content creation capabilities.
Youtube is also investing in social impact with a $20 million global teen wellbeing programme in collaboration with Google.org, focused on supporting youth mental health and digital wellbeing.
For content discovery, the platform has introduced a new grid layout for Shorts in mobile search results, making it easier for users to browse short-form videos. New gifting features such as Gifts and Jewels have been rolled out for vertical live streams in South Korea, opening additional avenues for fan engagement and creator earnings. The company has also added NanoBanana to its Youtube Create app, continuing to expand its suite of mobile content creation tools.
On the safety side, Youtube has expanded likeness detection technology to include government officials, journalists and political candidates, aiming to prevent misuse of identity on the platform.
Finally, Youtube has partnered with FIFA for the FIFA World Cup, signalling a continued push into sports content and global event collaborations.
From bigger thumbnails to smarter shopping tools and safety upgrades, Youtube is clearly playing to stay on top proving that even the biggest video platform knows when it’s time to hit the refresh button.
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
