Low-quality AI-generated content is saturating YouTube, generating an estimated $117 million in revenue annually, according to new research. The study found that more than 20 percent of the videos shown to new users on the platform fall into the category of low effort posts popularly known as “AI slop,” with many channels posting content aimed at children.
The Guardian reports that a study conducted by video-editing company Kapwing has revealed that more than 20 percent of the videos recommended to new YouTube users are “AI slop” — low-quality, AI-generated content designed to garner views and monetize attention. The researchers surveyed 15,000 of the most popular YouTube channels worldwide and discovered that 278 of them exclusively feature AI slop.
Collectively, these AI slop channels have accumulated over 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers, generating approximately $117 million in yearly revenue. When the researchers created a new YouTube account, they found that 104 of the first 500 recommended videos were AI slop, while one-third of the content fell under the “brainrot” category, which includes both AI slop and other low-quality, attention-grabbing videos.
The AI slop channels identified in the study are globally distributed and boast massive followings. In Spain, nearly half the country’s population — 20 million people — follow trending AI channels. Egypt has 18 million followers of AI channels, while the United States and Brazil have 14.5 million and 13.5 million followers, respectively.
Bandar Apna Dost, an India-based channel featuring bizarre adventures of an anthropomorphic monkey and a Hulk-like character, is the most-viewed channel in the study with 2.4 billion views. Pouty Frenchie, a Singapore-based channel seemingly targeting children with its absurd storylines, has amassed 2 billion views. Meanwhile, Cuentos Facinantes, a U.S.-based channel with cartoon content aimed at children, has the highest subscriber count in the study at 6.65 million.
The AI slop industry is a growing, semi-structured ecosystem of creators exchanging tips and ideas on platforms like Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord to monetize the world’s most powerful social media platforms using AI tools. Many of these creators hail from middle-income countries with relatively strong internet connectivity and lower median wages compared to potential YouTube earnings.
As the AI slop industry continues to expand, human creativity appears to be less important than the algorithms that distribute content on platforms like YouTube and Meta. These platforms serve as massive A/B testing machines, with creators focusing on identifying successful content and scaling it for maximum impact.
Read more at the Guardian here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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