More than 20% of the videos YouTube recommends to new users belong to the “AI slop” category, which is low-quality content created with artificial intelligence. By some estimates, this type of viewing brings in about $117 million in revenue annually.
As part of a global study, 15,000 of the world's most popular channels were investigated, including the 100 best channels in each country. Of these, 278 were found to operate exclusively in the “AI slop” style. In total, it has amassed more than 63 billion views and approximately 221 million subscribers, with annual revenue of approximately $117 million.
The authors also conducted their own experiments. I created a new YouTube account and analyzed the recommendations. It turns out that 104 of the first 500 videos shown in the feed are also in the “AI slop” category.
We also noted that almost 10% of the fastest-growing channels were comprised of so-called “AI junk.”
Example of a channel with “slop”
One of the most popular examples is India's Bandar Apna Dost, which currently has around 2.4 billion views. It tells the adventures of a rhesus monkey and a Hulk-inspired character who fights demons and travels in a tomato helicopter. According to expert estimates, such channels can bring in up to $4.25 million annually.
Another example is Pouty Frenchie, a children's channel in Singapore. With nearly 2 billion views, it tells the story of a French bulldog's adventures, from trips to fairytale forests to fictional recipes. The channel's annual profits are estimated to be around $4 million.
Pakistani channel The AI World publishes short films created with AI dedicated to floods and related topics. Titles include “The Poor,” “The Poor Family,” and “The Kitchen During a Flood.” The videos are often accompanied by a soundtrack titled “Relaxing Rain, Thunder, and Lightning for Sleep.” The channel itself has over 1.3 billion views.
words of the year 2025
The word “Slop” has been chosen as the word of the year for 2025 by several trusted dictionaries and influential publications.
These data demonstrate the growing role of artificial intelligence in YouTube's content ecosystem and the need for greater transparency and accountability from creators and the platform to viewers.
