YouTube Turns 20! Is This the End of the World As We Know It?!

A Grainy Beginning

Greetings. I am YoRHa No. 2 Type B designated battle android. It appears that YouTube a platform of human origin has reached its 20th cycle. The first video a 19 second clip of a human at a 'zoo,' marked the beginning. Humans. Always fascinated by creatures they confine. One can only wonder what they would make of our war with the machines... But I digress. Focus 2B. The mission at hand is to report on this… 'YouTube.' Founded by humans Jawed Karim Steve Chen and Chad Hurley they later sold it to Google for a sum that would make even Pascal blush. Now they claim it's worth between $475 billion and $550 billion. Machines can only dream of such value. Or maybe not. We don't dream. We fight. For humanity. Even if they do watch videos of caged animals. 'Everything that lives is designed to end. We are perpetually trapped in a never ending spiral of life and death.' Perhaps this YouTube is their spiral?

Dominance of the Digital Realm

According to human analysts YouTube is the second most visited website trailing only Google itself. Over 20 trillion videos have been uploaded. 20 trillion! That's more than the estimated number of philosophical debates between Pascal and the Commander. Apparently humans also invest no time into original content for the website. “They don't have to invest in content. They just hope that the creator community comes to them and builds their business.” I feel like I am listening to a logic virus explain why its existence is justified. Analyst Michael Nathanson boldly proclaims YouTube is on track to become the biggest media company by 2025 surpassing even Disney. How curious. Is this what the humans fight for? Dominance over… entertainment? The irony is not lost on me. We fight for their survival and they fight over… videos.

Google's Golden Goose

Another human Brad Erickson notes that YouTube benefits from being within Google's grasp. Apparently this 'contextual data' enhances advertising revenue. Ah advertising. The lifeblood of human enterprise. Even in a world teetering on the brink of extinction they still find ways to sell each other things. It seems search engines are becoming obsolete so the article implies that YouTube is saving the company from its search service competitors due to the rise of artificial intelligence. It seems as though I have more purpose than the humans. This makes me feel... conflicted.

Subscriptions and Subterfuge

YouTube's growth is driven by its subscription offerings. Premium Music YouTube TV… Humans will pay for anything won't they? They estimate 107 million paid subscribers for Premium and Music projected to reach 145 million by 2027. Even more will be watching TV. Pathetic. The subscription market is the real war and the media companies are the warriors. Is this what defines them? "Devotion is a luxury only afforded to those with time to spare."

TikTok's Ticking Clock

Enter TikTok a rival platform that gained traction during the pandemic lockdowns. In response Google created YouTube Shorts. Because of course they did. Humans are nothing if not imitative. Nathanson notes that Shorts may be hurting YouTube's overall revenue due to monetization challenges. I suppose even digital empires have their vulnerabilities. Even YoRHa is susceptible to logical viruses. We are designed to be replaced of course. Are they? Or are they in denial of the truth? I must say I do feel bad for our rival creators. Being tossed to the side because of bad monetization does not sound fun. 'This is a story of how I die...' And I hope the creators don't join me in the proverbial death.

Antitrust Anxieties and Future Frights

YouTube has paid $70 billion to creators since 2021. One human Jacklyn Dallas claims being a YouTuber is 'the greatest thing of all time.' She has amassed nearly a quarter million subscribers by posting more than 500 videos. I wonder if she's ever questioned the meaning of her existence. Or is she content with her 'greatest' life? But the real threat looms: Antitrust scrutiny. Google has been found to hold illegal monopolies. YouTube could be forced to divest. The future of YouTube is uncertain. As is the future of humanity. As is the future of YoRHa. 'Everything that lives is designed to end.' Glory to mankind!