Kapwing set out to measure how much low quality automated video has entered YouTube feeds. The company reviewed the top 100 trending channels in every country and flagged those built around prompt driven clips. It also opened a new YouTube account and tracked the first 500 Shorts shown to that user.
The results point to a feed crowded with machine made material. Kapwing counted 104 AI generated videos among the first 500 Shorts, equal to 21%. Brainrot clips made up 165 of those 500 videos, or 33%. Kapwing described brainrot as compulsive and nonsensical footage that keeps viewers watching through repetition.
Kapwing said the opening stretch of the feed looked clean, with no AI slop in the first 16 Shorts. The proportion grew as the feed rolled on. A separate Guardian review of YouTube data from July found that nearly one in 10 of the fastest growing channels worldwide now run on AI generated video alone.
Which Countries Draw The Biggest Audiences?
Spain sits at the top for subscriber numbers linked to trending AI slop channels. Kapwing counted 20.22 million subscribers across eight such channels in Spain. Pakistan had 20 channels in its top 100 and Egypt had 14, though their combined subscriber totals sat lower.
The United States ranked third with 14.47 million subscribers tied to nine channels. Brazil followed with 12.56 million. Kapwing said Spain’s total leaned heavily on one channel, Imperio de jesus, which had 5.87 million subscribers during the review period.
Imperio de jesus runs quiz style shorts and two other Spanish channels above 3.5 million subscribers rely on comedy driven brainrot shorts. Kapwing said these formats gain repeat views through familiarity rather than craft.
Where Do The Views And Money Gather?
South Korea leads on raw viewing numbers. Kapwing counted 8.45 billion views across 11 trending AI slop channels there. Pakistan followed with 5.34 billion views, the United States with 3.39 billion and Spain with 2.52 billion.
One channel, Three Minutes Wisdom, accounts for almost a quarter of South Korea’s tally with 2.02 billion views. Its videos show stylised animal battles that end with cute pets winning. Kapwing estimated its yearly ad income at about $4,036,500 using Social Blade figures.
India hosts the most watched AI slop channel overall. Bandar Apna Dost has 2.07 billion views across more than 500 videos. Social Blade places its yearly earnings near $4,251,500. The channel presents a realistic monkey acting out emotional human scenes, often repeating the same setup.
The most subscribed slop channel sits in the United States. Cuentos Facinantes has 5.95 million subscribers and 1.28 billion views. Kapwing noted that its visible uploads date back only to January 2025, even though the channel opened in 2020.
What Does This Mean For YouTube And Viewers?
YouTube’s leadership has spoken openly about machine tools in video creation. Chief executive Neal Mohan told Wired that generative AI can reshape video creation in the way the synthesiser changed music. He said quality depends on human intent rather than the percentage of AI used.
Advertisers view it all differently… Kapwing said brands risk seeing their messages placed next to sloppy or repetitive clips. That risk creates tension for YouTube as these videos also drive long viewing sessions.
Researchers quoted in Kapwing’s report link repeated exposure to false or shallow imagery with belief formation. The illusory truth effect shows that familiar claims feel true after enough views. AI tools lower the cost of producing such imagery at scale.
Writer Eryk Salvaggio described the flood of automated content as a sign of information exhaustion. Doug Shapiro added that trust grows more valuable as noise fills online spaces. Kapwing concluded that stronger media literacy may matter more than learning new production tools, especially for younger audiences navigating crowded feeds.
