At Cannes Lions 2025, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan delivered a bold message: the future of creativity is being built on YouTube.
The platform, now 20 years old, started with a simple clip titled “Me at the Zoo.” From there, it became a cultural force. Early creators like iJustine and Smosh helped shape what would become a global creative movement.
Fast forward to today, and YouTube isn’t just a video site. It’s the launchpad for modern storytelling, startups, and cultural shifts. Mohan stood proud on stage and said it clearly: YouTube is where the next creative revolution will happen.
Creators Are the New Studios
In the beginning, creators posted grainy, DIY-style clips from their bedrooms. Now? They’re running studios, managing teams, and dropping documentaries.
Take French creator Inoxtag, who climbed Mount Everest and turned it into a full-length doc called Kaizen. It premiered both in cinemas and on YouTube. Within 48 hours, it hit 17 million views.
This is what Mohan calls the new Hollywood. And it’s now on the biggest screen in the house—TV. Over a billion hours of YouTube are watched daily on TVs, and for most top creators, that’s now their #1 screen.
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Fandoms Are Driving Culture
Fans aren’t just watching videos—they’re creating a world around them. In 2023, The Amazing Digital Circus went viral, but the fan-created content around it exploded even more. Think: memes, remixes, reaction videos. Over 25 billion views came from that wave alone.
Then there’s The Sidemen—a UK group that started on YouTube, now sells out Wembley Stadium and runs restaurants. As Mohan put it: “Fandom isn’t passive anymore. It’s active, and it’s building the next cultural wave.”
AI Is Unlocking New Creativity
YouTube isn’t sleeping on tech. The platform is using AI to support creators in new ways. One example? Dream Screen, powered by Google DeepMind’s Veo 3, lets users build entire video backdrops for Shorts using AI.
And then there’s Auto Dubbing—a tool that translates videos into multiple languages using AI. So far, it’s helped creators dub over 20 million videos, opening their content to global audiences.
The Next 20 Years? Even Bigger
Mohan’s message was clear. The last two decades were just the warm-up. The next 20 will be faster, bolder, and way more global. Creators will blend formats, spark new fandoms, and use AI to reach the world.
YouTube isn’t just keeping up with culture—it’s leading it.
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