YouTube is telling advertisers this is the future of television. AI spam can jeopardize that narrative.
According to an analysis by video editing platform Kapwing, the video platform recently shut down more than a dozen popular accounts that were churning out AI content featuring characters like cats and Jesus. Some channels were racking up millions of views before going dark.
In November, Kapwing published a report estimating that 21% of YouTube’s feed is AI-generated videos.
When asked for comment on the removal, a YouTube spokesperson said, “YouTube does not allow spam, fraud, or other deceptive behavior using the YouTube community.”
YouTube CEO Neil Mohan said this month that cutting down on low-quality AI content is one of the platform’s priorities for 2026.
“To reduce the spread of low-quality AI content, we are actively building on established systems that combat spam and clickbait and have great success in reducing the spread of low-quality and repetitive content,” he said.
YouTube isn’t against AI.
Its parent company, Google, is one of the leading innovators in AI with products such as Veo 3 and Nano Banana. But YouTube needs to balance its AI implementation with insisting that brands buy ads on its platform rather than on TV. In recent years, the company has hosted NewFronts, content showcases, and other events to highlight its premium content to marketers. If repetitive AI spam consumes more and more play time, your pitch can start to lose its luster.
“Advertisers want to advertise on quality content,” says Shira Lazar, content creator and founder of media brand What’s Trending. YouTube wouldn’t be able to charge premium ad rates “if the platform was just filled with AI slop,” she said.
Other social entertainment apps such as TikTok and Instagram are facing a similar flood of AI videos.
TikTok has also added a special toggle that allows users to decide how much generated AI appears in their feed. But even if Instagram hopes it can attract TV attention, neither company is appealing to TV ad budgets that directly.
Meanwhile, YouTube is the top streaming platform among U.S. TV viewers, ahead of streamers like Netflix and Disney, according to a December analysis by measurement firm Nielsen.
