Overview
- Kapwing reviewed 15,000 top YouTube channels and identified 278 that post only low-quality AI-generated videos, totaling 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers.
- In a new-account test, 104 of the first 500 recommended videos were classified as AI slop, with another third labeled as broader low-quality “brainrot.”
- The study estimates AI slop channels generate roughly $117 million a year, including India-based Bandar Apna Dost with 2.4 billion views and an estimated $4.25 million in annual revenue.
- YouTube said generative AI can produce both high- and low-quality material and that policy-violating uploads are removed, though researchers say such content still surfaces prominently for new users.
- Creators operate across countries such as India, Ukraine, Kenya, Nigeria, Brazil and Vietnam, with reported earnings concentrated among a small minority despite widespread production and increased takedowns.