A recent report from Kapwing estimates that as of October 2025, anywhere from 21% to 33% of YouTube feeds may be filled with AI slop or similar “brainrot” videos, highlighting the swift spread of this content across platforms globally.
While AI-generated videos have found valid applications in filmmaking, advertising, and education—with film schools and leading brands testing the technology—the report indicates that a parallel environment has surfaced. In this realm, creators utilize prompt-based tools to mass-produce content, saturating platforms with repetitive and subpar visuals that emphasize engagement over uniqueness.
Kapwing defines AI slop as careless, low-quality content produced through automated systems and disseminated to attract views or sway opinions. Brainrot refers to a closely related category characterized by compulsively nonsensical videos that erode attention and understanding through constant repetition and spectacle.
To gauge the prevalence of this trend, Kapwing analyzed the top 100 trending YouTube channels in each country, pinpointing those that mainly generated AI slop.
The researchers then assessed view counts, subscriber figures, and estimated revenue using data from Social Blade. To simulate a new user’s experience, they also created a fresh YouTube account and monitored the first 500 Shorts that appeared in the feed.
The results reveal striking geographical trends.
Spain emerged as the nation with the largest total subscriber base for trending AI slop channels, exceeding 20 million, despite having fewer such channels in the top ranks compared to countries like Pakistan, Egypt, or South Korea. Much of Spain’s subscriber success derives from a few highly popular channels, including a religious-themed one that merges faith-centric messaging with quiz-type videos.
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In contrast, South Korea’s AI slop scene is notable for scale rather than subscriptions. Trending AI slop channels have jointly garnered over 8.4 billion views, far surpassing totals seen in Pakistan, the United States, or Spain. One South Korean channel alone accounts for nearly a quarter of that figure, utilizing stylized animal imagery and affiliate-linked content to boost engagement and revenue.
The report also highlights some of the leading AI slop channels on a global scale. The highest-subscribed channel hails from the United States and publishes content in Spanish, drawing nearly six million subscribers with AI-generated videos centered around popular anime themes.
Meanwhile, the single most-viewed AI slop channel is based in India – Bandar Apna Dost. Featuring hundreds of nearly identical videos featuring a photorealistic monkey in dramatic, human-like situations, the channel has accumulated over two billion views and is estimated to generate more than $4 million annually when fully monetized.
Kapwing’s revenue analysis indicates that the most profitable AI slop channels closely resemble the most-viewed ones, as earnings projections are largely driven by recent view counts. Many of these videos were uploaded only in the previous few months.
Beyond individual channels, the report sheds light on the everyday user experience. In the simulated new-account study, over one-fifth of the first 500 Shorts were AI-generated, while a third fell into the brainrot category. Although the initial videos were free of such content, AI slop and brainrot became increasingly prevalent as the feed progressed.
This surge poses a challenge for YouTube. While the platform’s leadership has expressed optimism regarding generative AI as a transformative factor in video creation, the report raises growing concerns about advertiser trust and brand integrity when ads run alongside low-quality, repetitive content.
Data presented in the report indicates that nearly one in ten of the fastest-expanding YouTube channels worldwide now feature exclusively AI-generated content, suggesting that AI slop has transitioned from a fringe phenomenon to a fundamental aspect of the platform’s growth.
Kapwing concludes that, while AI slop and brainrot may seem innocuous or entertaining, their overwhelming presence threatens to overshadow thoughtful, human-created work. As automated content becomes more normalized, the report emphasizes that the ability to critically evaluate media—rather than merely consume it—will likely be increasingly essential for audiences navigating an algorithm-driven internet.
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