Kapwing Analyzes 15,000 of the World's Top 100 YouTube Channels
One out of every five videos recommended by the YouTube algorithm to new users is artificial intelligence (AI)-generated low-quality content, known as "slop."
On December 28, Yonhap News reported, citing the British daily The Guardian, that the video editing platform Kapwing analyzed the top 15,000 YouTube channels across 100 countries. The investigation found that 278 channels exclusively broadcast low-quality videos created solely by AI.
The combined number of subscribers for these channels reached 221 million, with cumulative views totaling 6.3 billion. Their estimated annual advertising revenue is projected to reach 117 million dollars (approximately 170 billion won).
Controversy arose as artificial intelligence (AI) fake videos made to look like they were filmed by police body cameras spread widely. The National Police Agency announced that it will conduct a preliminary investigation into the relevant social media channels to prevent further damage caused by the distribution of AI-generated false videos.
According to Kapwing's experiment with a newly created account, more than 20%-specifically, 104 out of 500-of the initial recommended videos were AI slop. This term refers to low-quality content mass-produced by artificial intelligence. The phrase "AI slop" combines "AI" and "slop," the latter originally meaning "mud," "scraps," or "filth." The prominent American dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster even selected "slop" as its 2025 Word of the Year.
The research team explained that about one-third of these videos were contextless, provocative "brain rot" content. AI slop often features flashy visuals and sensational themes to attract clicks from viewers with lower critical judgment, such as children. For example, one channel from Pakistan reimagined the catastrophic floods as slop content, garnering 1.3 billion views.
Slop has already become an established model for generating revenue with minimal costs. Experts pointed out that this is why creators from countries with relatively stable internet access but lower average wages, such as India, Kenya, and Nigeria, are also mass-producing slop content.
Some have argued that video platforms like YouTube should take a stricter stance on slop. Since AI-generated low-quality content is disrupting the digital ecosystem, they say that platforms must implement stronger filtering and monetization restrictions.
In response, YouTube stated, "AI is merely a tool and can be used to create both high-quality and low-quality content. We are focused on connecting users with high-quality content, regardless of how it is produced."
Meanwhile, Kapwing's analysis of the top 100 YouTube channels by country found that South Korea ranked first globally in slop video consumption. South Korea was identified as "the country that watches, creates, and spreads slop the most." The number of views for AI slop channels originating from South Korea was about 8.45 billion, far surpassing second-place Pakistan (about 5.3 billion) and third-place United States (about 3.4 billion).
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