If you think the AI-generated junk flooding the internet is bad, wait until you see what's being served to young children. In recent months, we've seen a growing wave of YouTube creators churn out low-effort “AI slop” content that can have negative effects on infants.
According to a report by bloombergAI slop – a term used to define unoriginal, low-quality, mass-produced digital content is making its way into the content consumed by children under the age of two. This type of content also includes real photos and videos overlaid with AI voices.
YouTube Kids is designed for ages 2 to 12 and is not available for children under 2. But more than 60 percent of parents of children under 2 say their babies watch YouTube, and infants and toddlers get there regardless, according to a Pew Research Center report.
The report doesn't provide any metrics on how much AI is currently controlling YouTube for Kids, but creators appear to be seizing the opportunity to push their videos regardless. The report goes on to say that several creators with more than 1 million followers have uploaded videos teaching others how to generate low-quality AI videos that are ultimately consumed by children.
In a statement to Bloomberg, developmental psychologist Michael Robb said that AI gives creators “an incredible mechanism to generate large volumes of low-quality videos purporting to be educational or aimed at children.” While YouTube itself is trying to crack down on AI cheating, YouTubers are still using the technology to exploit children without breaking the rules, and many of these videos are still online and collecting views.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
