A study covering 15,000 popular channels on YouTube found that 278 of them contain exclusively AI-generated content. These channels have collectively amassed over 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers, generating around $117 million (£90 million) in annual revenue.
When creating a new YouTube account, researchers discovered that 104 of the first 500 recommended videos were low-quality content created with AI. More than a third of these videos fell into the category of "low-quality content created by AI and other low-grade content for attention monetization." These results highlight a rapidly evolving industry that has filled major social platforms like X, Meta, and YouTube, defining a new era of content that is decontextualized and addictive.
According to an analysis by The Guardian, nearly 10% of the fastest-growing channels on YouTube are created using AI and are gaining millions of views, despite the platform's efforts to combat "misleading content." The channels identified by Kapwing are widespread globally, with audiences numbering in the millions. In Spain, for example, nearly half of the population (20 million people) follows popular AI-generated channels, while in Egypt, there are 18 million, in the USA, 14.5 million, and in Brazil, 13.5 million.
The most popular channel in the study, Bandar Apna Dost, is based in India and has 2.4 billion views. It features the adventures of an anthropomorphic rhesus macaque and a muscular character resembling the Incredible Hulk, who fight demons and travel in a helicopter made of tomatoes. Kapwing estimates that this channel could earn up to $4.25 million. The channel owner did not respond to The Guardian's request.
Rohini Lakshane, a researcher in technology and digital rights, suggests that the popularity of "Bandar Apna Dost" can be attributed to its absurdity and hyper-masculine stereotypes, making it accessible to a broad audience.
The channel Pouty Frenchie from Singapore also has 2 billion views and appears to be aimed at children. It tells the adventures of a French bulldog in a candy forest, eating crystal sushi, often accompanied by children's laughter. Kapwing estimates its annual revenue to be nearly $4 million. At the same time, the channel Cuentos Facinantes from the USA, also targeting children, has 6.65 million subscribers and is the most popular in the study.
The Pakistani channel The AI World publishes short videos about catastrophic floods with titles like "Poor People" and "Kitchen During Flood." This channel has 1.3 billion views.
However, it is difficult to assess the significance of these channels against the vast amount of content on YouTube. The platform does not publish data on annual views and what percentage of them are videos created with AI.
Behind these unusual scenes lies a semi-structured, growing industry seeking new ways to monetize the world's most powerful platforms using AI tools. "On Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, and forums, many people exchange tips and ideas, as well as sell courses on how to create content that can make money," notes journalist Max Reed, who has written extensively about AI-generated content.
"There are so-called niches, like videos where people blow up pressure cookers on the stove," he adds. Despite the prevalence of low-quality content creators, many of them come from English-speaking countries with decent internet connections, where salaries are lower than what can be earned on YouTube.
"These are mainly middle-income countries like Ukraine, India, Kenya, Nigeria, as well as Brazil and Vietnam. These are places with relative freedom of access to social networks," says Reed.
Becoming a creator of viral content using AI is no easy task. Programs for content creators on YouTube and Meta are not always transparent regarding payment. Additionally, the ecosystem of viral content is rife with scammers offering courses and advice on creating viral content, often earning more than the creators themselves.
Nevertheless, for some, it is still a way to earn money. While new ideas, such as exploding pressure cookers, continue to emerge, human creativity in the world of AI content plays a significantly smaller role than the algorithms that distribute materials on Meta and YouTube.
"These platforms are essentially huge A/B testing machines," emphasizes Reed. "Almost everything imaginable is already available on Facebook, and the task is to find what works and how to scale it."
A YouTube representative commented on the situation as follows: "Generative AI is a tool, and like any tool, it can be used to create both quality and low-quality content. We continue to strive to provide users with high-quality content, regardless of how it is created. All uploaded content must comply with our community guidelines, and if we find violations, we remove it."
