Video editing platform Kapwing analyzed trending YouTube channels and new-user feeds to quantify the prevalence of AI-generated and low-quality content on YouTube Shorts, finding that approximately one-third of Shorts shown to new users consist of what researchers classify as “brainrot” videos.
The company examined the top 100 trending YouTube channels in each analyzed country in October 2025 and created a new YouTube account to monitor content distribution. Among the first 500 YouTube Shorts presented to the new account, 165 videos (representing 33% of the feed) were classified as brainrot content, and 104 videos (21%) were identified as AI-generated.
Top Channels Generate Millions in Estimated Revenue
The analysis identified specific channels that achieve significant reach and potential for monetization. India-based channel “Bandar Apna Dost” leads globally with 2.07 billion views across more than 500 videos featuring AI-generated content depicting a monkey in human-style situations. Kapwing estimates the channel’s annual revenue at $4.25 million based on Social Blade’s calculations using average revenue per 1,000 views.
U.S.-based Spanish-language channel “Cuentos Facinantes” [sic] has 5.95 million subscribers, making it the most-subscribed AI slop channel identified in the research. The channel, established in 2020, currently hosts Dragon Ball-themed videos dating from January 2025, having accumulated 1.28 billion views.
The South Korean channel “Three Minutes Wisdom” ranks second globally in views, with 2.02 billion, featuring content that typically shows wild animals being defeated by pets. Kapwing estimates the channel’s annual advertising income at approximately $4.04 million.
Geographic Distribution Shows Regional Patterns
Spain’s eight trending AI slop channels have a combined 20.22 million subscribers, the highest total among all countries analyzed. The figure is driven substantially by “Imperio de Jesús,” [sic] which has 5.87 million subscribers and produces religious-themed interactive quiz videos.
South Korea’s 11 trending AI slop channels have accumulated 8.45 billion views – 1.6 times the 5.34 billion views of second-place Pakistan and 2.5 times the 3.39 billion views of third-place United States. The United States ranks third in subscriber counts, with 14.47 million subscribers, 28.4% fewer than Spain’s 20.07 million but 13.2% more than Brazil’s 12.56 million.
Platform Faces Monetization Considerations
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has publicly addressed AI-generated content on the platform. “The genius is going to lie whether you did it in a way that was profoundly original or creative,” Mohan told WIRED. “Just because the content is 75% AI-generated doesn’t make it any better or worse than a video that’s 5% AI-generated. What’s important is that it was done by a human being.”
Mohan previously cited generative AI as the most significant advantage for YouTube since the platform’s founding, comparing its potential impact to that of synthesizers in music. The company faces considerations around advertiser perceptions of AI-generated content, according to Kapwing’s analysis.
The Guardian’s analysis of YouTube’s July figures found that nearly one in 10 of the fastest-growing YouTube channels globally exclusively feature AI-generated content.
Regional Channel Characteristics
Among the top 10 most-viewed AI slop channels globally, five are based in South Korea, with others located in Egypt, Brazil, Pakistan, and India. Spanish-language channels dominate the most-subscribed category, with “Cuentos Facinantes” and “Imperio de jesus” ranking first and second, respectively.
Pakistan has 20 AI-slop channels among its top 100 trending channels, followed by Egypt with 14, South Korea with 11, and the United States with 9. Spain has eight such channels, despite leading in total subscribers.
The highest-earning AI slop channels identified in the research align closely with those that receive the most views, as Social Blade’s revenue estimates are based on annual view counts. Most videos analyzed were published within the recent months of the October 2025 data collection period.
Kapwing defines AI slop as “careless, low-quality content generated using automatic computer applications and distributed to farm views and subscriptions or sway political opinion.” The company defines brainrot as “compulsive, nonsensical, low-quality video content that creates the effect of corroding the viewer’s mental or intellectual state while watching; often generated with AI.”
The research data represent channel metrics as of October 2025, derived from manual analysis of trending channels and systematic tracking of new-user feed composition.
Image credits: Kapwing The full report is available here
Dragomir is a Serbian freelance blog writer and translator. He is passionate about covering insightful stories and exploring topics such as influencer marketing, the creator economy, technology, business, and cyber fraud.
Video editing platform Kapwing analyzed trending YouTube channels and new-user feeds to quantify the prevalence of AI-generated and low-quality content on YouTube Shorts, finding that approximately one-third of Shorts shown to new users consist of what researchers classify as “brainrot” videos.
The company examined the top 100 trending YouTube channels in each analyzed country in October 2025 and created a new YouTube account to monitor content distribution. Among the first 500 YouTube Shorts presented to the new account, 165 videos (representing 33% of the feed) were classified as brainrot content, and 104 videos (21%) were identified as AI-generated.
Top Channels Generate Millions in Estimated Revenue
The analysis identified specific channels that achieve significant reach and potential for monetization. India-based channel “Bandar Apna Dost” leads globally with 2.07 billion views across more than 500 videos featuring AI-generated content depicting a monkey in human-style situations. Kapwing estimates the channel’s annual revenue at $4.25 million based on Social Blade’s calculations using average revenue per 1,000 views.
U.S.-based Spanish-language channel “Cuentos Facinantes” [sic] has 5.95 million subscribers, making it the most-subscribed AI slop channel identified in the research. The channel, established in 2020, currently hosts Dragon Ball-themed videos dating from January 2025, having accumulated 1.28 billion views.
The South Korean channel “Three Minutes Wisdom” ranks second globally in views, with 2.02 billion, featuring content that typically shows wild animals being defeated by pets. Kapwing estimates the channel’s annual advertising income at approximately $4.04 million.
Geographic Distribution Shows Regional Patterns
Spain’s eight trending AI slop channels have a combined 20.22 million subscribers, the highest total among all countries analyzed. The figure is driven substantially by “Imperio de Jesús,” [sic] which has 5.87 million subscribers and produces religious-themed interactive quiz videos.
South Korea’s 11 trending AI slop channels have accumulated 8.45 billion views – 1.6 times the 5.34 billion views of second-place Pakistan and 2.5 times the 3.39 billion views of third-place United States. The United States ranks third in subscriber counts, with 14.47 million subscribers, 28.4% fewer than Spain’s 20.07 million but 13.2% more than Brazil’s 12.56 million.
Platform Faces Monetization Considerations
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has publicly addressed AI-generated content on the platform. “The genius is going to lie whether you did it in a way that was profoundly original or creative,” Mohan told WIRED. “Just because the content is 75% AI-generated doesn’t make it any better or worse than a video that’s 5% AI-generated. What’s important is that it was done by a human being.”
Mohan previously cited generative AI as the most significant advantage for YouTube since the platform’s founding, comparing its potential impact to that of synthesizers in music. The company faces considerations around advertiser perceptions of AI-generated content, according to Kapwing’s analysis.
The Guardian’s analysis of YouTube’s July figures found that nearly one in 10 of the fastest-growing YouTube channels globally exclusively feature AI-generated content.
Regional Channel Characteristics
Among the top 10 most-viewed AI slop channels globally, five are based in South Korea, with others located in Egypt, Brazil, Pakistan, and India. Spanish-language channels dominate the most-subscribed category, with “Cuentos Facinantes” and “Imperio de jesus” ranking first and second, respectively.
Pakistan has 20 AI-slop channels among its top 100 trending channels, followed by Egypt with 14, South Korea with 11, and the United States with 9. Spain has eight such channels, despite leading in total subscribers.
The highest-earning AI slop channels identified in the research align closely with those that receive the most views, as Social Blade’s revenue estimates are based on annual view counts. Most videos analyzed were published within the recent months of the October 2025 data collection period.
Kapwing defines AI slop as “careless, low-quality content generated using automatic computer applications and distributed to farm views and subscriptions or sway political opinion.” The company defines brainrot as “compulsive, nonsensical, low-quality video content that creates the effect of corroding the viewer’s mental or intellectual state while watching; often generated with AI.”
The research data represent channel metrics as of October 2025, derived from manual analysis of trending channels and systematic tracking of new-user feed composition.
Image credits: Kapwing
The full report is available here