YouTube declares war on "AI Brainrot", hundreds of channels purged

YouTube has removed or heavily restricted hundreds of channels responsible for more than 4.7 billion total views, underscoring the platform’s increasingly aggressive crackdown on low-quality AI-generated content.

Much of the affected content falls into what critics describe as “AI brainrot” or “AI slop” — mass-produced videos created using synthetic voices, auto-generated scripts, deepfakes and recycled visuals designed to maximise engagement rather than inform or entertain.

The move signals a shift in how the video-sharing giant is attempting to balance rapid AI-driven innovation with maintaining content quality, according to coverage by Geo News.

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan acknowledged the growing challenge in his annual letter, warning that the line between authentic and AI-generated content is becoming harder to detect.

“The rise of AI has raised concerns about low-quality content, aka ‘AI slop.’ As an open platform, we allow for a broad range of free expression while ensuring YouTube remains a place where people feel good spending their time,” Mohan wrote.

YouTube said the unchecked spread of deepfakes, synthetic narration and automatically generated videos has reached a critical point, prompting tougher enforcement. While the company stressed that AI tools can be used responsibly and creatively, it admitted they have also enabled an explosion of shallow, repetitive and, in some cases, misleading material.

A recent study by video-editing platform Kapwing found that YouTube has already taken action against some of the largest AI-driven channels on the platform. Of the 100 most-subscribed “AI slop” channels identified in late 2025, at least 16 have since been removed entirely. Others saw their entire video libraries deleted or monetisation privileges revoked.

Together, those channels had amassed more than 35 million subscribers and were generating an estimated $10 million a year through automated content production.

YouTube said it is relying on existing enforcement systems originally built to combat spam, clickbait and deceptive practices to identify and demote AI slop. These systems analyse upload frequency, repetition patterns and viewer engagement signals to detect content created primarily to game the algorithm.

At the same time, Mohan said YouTube plans to roll out new generative AI tools for creators, including features that would allow users to create Shorts using AI versions of their own likeness. The company maintains that its goal is not to ban AI-generated content outright, but to ensure that it meaningfully contributes to storytelling, education or entertainment rather than overwhelming users with low-effort videos.

At the same time, industry analysts note that YouTube’s own design choices have contributed to the problem. The platform’s recommendation algorithm rewards frequent uploads, giving AI-powered channels — which can generate dozens of videos a day — a significant advantage over human creators producing content at a slower pace.

The issue intensified after YouTube launched the "Shorts" feature in 2020 to compete with TikTok. Short-form video prioritises rapid cuts, eye-catching visuals and immediate hooks — all areas where AI video-generation tools excel. As a result, the barrier to producing viral but low-quality content has dropped sharply.

YouTube now faces the challenge of cleaning up the ecosystem without discouraging legitimate creators who use AI as a tool rather than a shortcut. How effectively it can strike that balance may shape the platform’s future as AI-generated media continues to flood the internet.

By Nazrin Sadigova