Twitch is facing criticism after CEO Dan Clancy revealed that the platform uses artificial intelligence to transcribe livestreams and assess whether content is suitable for particular advertisers.
Clancy discussed the system during the 75th episode of the Snarketing Podcast, in a video shared by reporter Zach Bussey on September 29.
Clancy explained that Twitch requires creators to classify their content according to established criteria, with those labels showing “over 99% consistency”.
CEO Dan Clancy says Twitch now uses AI to identify streamers that may not match a brand, since it now transcribes all streams for brand safety.
It won’t show ads on channels or content the AI believes don’t match what the advertiser is trying to achieve. pic.twitter.com/aGGq9fDb7U
— Zach Bussey 🇨🇦 (@zachbussey) September 29, 2026
Advertisers can then specify the type of content they want their campaigns to appear alongside.
Twitch’s AI transcription system adds another layer by reviewing stream transcripts and identifying material that may not suit a specific brand.
Clancy said the technology can identify when “something is happening that may not match a brand”.
The disclosure prompted criticism from some Twitch users, who questioned whether AI should play a role in determining which creators are suitable for advertising.
“So now AI decides which voices are safe for ads,” an X user wrote.
Another user questioned why certain creators had not been affected, while one wrote, “But you still don’t ban the people that need to be banned.”
Clancy said Twitch has invested significantly in ensuring advertisers appear alongside creators and content that meet their requirements.
“So, that’s something that we’ve had to invest a lot in to make sure that for a brand, their content is appearing next to creators and content that fits what they’re trying to achieve,” he said.
Twitch reportedly did not provide further details about the specific words, topics or behaviours that can trigger the AI-based brand suitability review.
