Research reveals that over 20% of videos recommended by YouTube’s algorithm to new users are “AI slop”—low-quality, AI-generated content created mainly to attract views. A survey by the video-editing company Kapwing examined 15, 000 top YouTube channels (the 100 most popular in each country) and identified 278 channels consisting exclusively of AI slop. Collectively, these channels have over 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers, generating an estimated $117 million (£90 million) annually. In an experiment, researchers created a new YouTube account and found that 104 of the first 500 recommended videos were AI slop. Additionally, one-third of those videos fell under “brainrot, ” a broader category that includes AI slop and other low-quality, attention-monetizing content. This trend reflects a rapidly growing industry that saturates major social media platforms, including YouTube, Meta, and X, characterized by decontextualized, addictive, and international content. A Guardian analysis earlier this year also found that nearly 10% of YouTube’s fastest-growing channels fell into the AI slop category, amassing millions of views despite the platform’s efforts to limit “inauthentic content. ” These channels have global reach, with millions of subscribers in countries such as Spain (20 million, nearly half the population), Egypt (18 million), the US (14. 5 million), and Brazil (13. 5 million). Among the most viewed is India’s Bandar Apna Dost, with 2. 4 billion views. It features surreal content like an anthropomorphic rhesus monkey and a Hulk-like figure fighting demons and flying a tomato helicopter. Kapwing estimates this channel could earn up to $4. 25 million annually. Researcher Rohini Lakshané suggests its appeal lies in its absurdity, hyper-masculine themes, and lack of plot, which makes it easily accessible to new viewers. Other examples include Pouty Frenchie (Singapore), which targets children with whimsical adventures of a French bulldog, reaching 2 billion views and nearly $4 million in annual revenue. The US-based Cuentos Facinantes targets children as well with cartoon storylines and has 6. 65 million subscribers, making it the study’s most-subscribed channel.

Pakistan’s The AI World posts AI-generated shorts depicting flooding disasters, often paired with calming rain sounds, and has accumulated 1. 3 billion views. The precise impact of these AI slop channels compared to YouTube’s vast content library remains unclear, as YouTube does not disclose total annual views or the share from AI content. However, this content is part of a semi-organized, burgeoning industry where creators monetize powerful platforms using AI tools. Max Read, a journalist specializing in AI slop, notes that numerous communities on platforms such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Discord share tips and sell courses on how to produce engaging but low-quality AI content. These creators often focus on niches, including viral themes like exploding pressure cookers. Many creators come from English-speaking countries with solid internet access but relatively low median wages—such as Ukraine, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Brazil, and Vietnam—where producing AI slop can be financially rewarding. Despite its accessibility, creating AI slop can be complex: creator programs on platforms like YouTube and Meta lack transparency about payments, and the ecosystem is rife with scammers who profit from selling advice on viral content production, often out-earning the creators themselves. Nonetheless, for some, AI slop provides a livelihood. Though new viral ideas frequently emerge, algorithm-driven platforms like YouTube and Meta prioritize content distribution based on engagement, more than human creativity. Max Read describes these sites as massive A/B testing environments where content success is measured by scalability and replication. In response, a YouTube spokesperson stated that generative AI is merely a tool capable of producing both quality and poor content. YouTube remains committed to delivering high-quality videos regardless of their creation method, enforcing community guidelines strictly and removing any content that violates policy.