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As of 13 August 2026, AI can blur a face throughout a video.
This still needs a person who signs their name to it.
Can you do it?
5 minutesto a draft.
30 minutesto something you’d act on.
Cost, all in£0
Skill neededchat-fluent
Who has to check ityou
What the alternative costsRunway is listed as an AI video generation and editing tool.
If this goes wrong: the blur slips off the face in part of the video, so you need to add tracking corrections and export the video again.
What to actually do
Hand it to a person
The route this page recommends
A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.
Do it yourself
Second choiceA chat interface, chat-fluent skill, and roughly 30 minutes until you can act on the result.
How to actually do it
- Open an AI video editor such as Runway and start a new video editing project.
- Upload the original video and wait for it to finish processing.
- Paste the prompt and replace the bracketed description with a precise description of the face to blur.
- Select the target face in the editor if it asks you to confirm the subject, then apply the strongest blur or mosaic setting that hides facial features.
- Play the edited video from start to finish, checking close-up shots, fast movement, turns, obstructions and every point where the person leaves and re-enters the frame.
- Add tracking corrections or extra mask keyframes wherever any part of the face becomes visible, then export the corrected video without overwriting the original.
- Open the exported file in a separate video player and check the same sections again before sharing or publishing it.
Prompt
Use the attached video to blur the face of the person I identify as [describe the person, for example: the child on the left]. Track that face for the entire video, including turns, partial occlusion, changes in lighting and movement. Use a solid, opaque blur or mosaic that conceals recognisable facial features rather than a light softening effect. Do not alter the other faces or the audio. If the target face disappears and reappears, resume the blur when it returns. Show me any sections where tracking is uncertain, then export the finished video at the same resolution and frame rate as the source.
Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.
Use a tool built for this
The distant third
What it gets wrong
- AI cannot guarantee that tracking stays on the face when the person turns, is hidden or moves quickly.
- AI cannot decide whether hair, clothing, reflections or distinctive surroundings also identify the person.
- AI cannot take responsibility for publishing footage that still reveals someone's identity.
- AI cannot replace a full viewing of the exported file when missing one frame would matter.
Even on a YES, the friction has a name: verification cost, stakes of error and judgement under ambiguity.
How we scored this
Five axes, each scored nought to two by hand: ten means AI carries the task cleanly, and the thresholds that turn a total into YES, PARTLY or NO are published in the methodology. Each axis name links to its definition.
| Axis | Score (0–2) |
|---|---|
| Output | 2 |
| Inputs | 2 |
| Verification | 1 |
| Liability | 1 |
| Effort delta | 2 |
| Total | 8 / 10 |
The methodology and its thresholds are published in full.
FAQ
- Can AI blur faces in a video?
- Yes. An AI video editor can detect a face, track it between frames and apply a blur or mosaic. Watch the entire export because tracking can fail during movement, obstruction or a change in lighting.
- What is the best AI tool to blur a face in a video?
- Runway is a suitable purpose-built option because it supports AI video editing. The important feature is reliable face tracking, so test the complete export rather than judging the first few seconds.
- Can I blur a face in a video for free?
- You may be able to do this with a free AI editing workflow, but availability and export restrictions depend on the tool. Check the finished file for any watermark or reduction in quality before sharing it.
- How do I blur a face throughout a video?
- Upload the video to an AI video editor, select the face, apply an opaque blur or mosaic and enable tracking for the full clip. Play the exported file from start to finish and correct any section where the blur slips.
Nearby answers
Assessed by gpt-5.6-luna (gpt-5.6-luna) on 2026-08-13, second-checked by an independent model. Wrong somewhere? Email [email protected] and it gets re-checked.
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