More than 20% of the videos recommended by YouTube’s algorithm to newly created user accounts are classified as “AI slop,” a term used to describe low-quality, AI-generated content, according to a new study conducted by US-based video editing company Kapwing.
The study analyzed content from approximately 15,000 popular YouTube channels that rank among the top 100 in their respective countries. Researchers found that 278 of these channels exclusively publish AI-generated, low-effort videos.
Despite their low production quality, these channels collectively account for an estimated 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers, generating approximately $117 million in annual revenue, the study said.
Kapwing’s analysis also examined the first 500 videos recommended to newly created YouTube accounts. Of those, 104 videos were identified as “AI slop,” indicating that more than one-fifth of the platform’s initial recommendations fall into this category. The study further noted that nearly one-third of recommended videos included what researchers described as “brain-rot” content, encompassing AI-generated material and other low-quality formats.
Experts cited in the report suggest that the popularity of such channels is largely driven by the absurd, repetitive, or sensational nature of the content, which is optimized to exploit engagement-based recommendation systems.
Earlier this year, The Guardian reported that approximately 10% of YouTube’s fastest-growing channels publish AI-generated “slop” content. The trend has drawn growing attention as generative AI tools become increasingly accessible.
Reflecting the phenomenon’s cultural impact, Merriam-Webster selected the word “slop” as its 2025 Word of the Year, citing its widespread use in describing the rapid proliferation of low-quality and misleading digital content produced with artificial intelligence.
