‘Bandar Apna Dost’ Leads the World’s Highest-Earning AI Slop Channels As Study Finds 20% of YouTube Recommendations Are Now AI-Generated Content
A growing number of AI-generated “slop” channels are exploiting YouTube’s algorithms to earn millions through high-volume, low-effort content. Creators from countries like India and Pakistan use absurd, plotless videos to attract views, while online groups share tactics to scale production, raising concerns about quality, transparency and platform accountability.
Mumbai, December 30: A new report has revealed that more than 20% of videos recommended to new YouTube users consist of low-quality, AI-generated content, frequently referred to as “AI slop”. The report mentioned that amid the rise in the artificial intelligence use in video-making, the creators product low-quality content to farm views. Amid this surge, an India-based channel has emerged as the world’s highest-earning creator of such content, potentially generating up to USD 4.25 million in revenue to date.
Bandar Apna Dost Channel: Rise of the 'AI Slop' Phenomenon
The term “AI slop” describes videos produced with minimal human intervention, often using AI-driven voiceovers, scripts and animations. According to a new report by The Guardian, the video-editing company Kapwing surveyed around 15,000 world's popular YouTube channels . The research found that out of them 278 of them contained AI slop. The platform’s recommendation engine frequently promotes these low-effort videos because they are optimised for engagement and rapid production. Viral Video Claims Cop Stopped Drunk Man at Blockade Only to Help His Pregnant Wife Reach Hospital Safely; Internet Calls It Scripted.
Security and media researchers note that while this content is often harmless in nature, its sheer volume threatens to overwhelm high-quality, human-produced media. The trend has raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of the creator economy and the potential for these channels to monopolise advertising revenue.
India-Based Bandar Apna Dost Channel Leads Global Earnings
The financial scale of this trend is exemplified by an India-based YouTube channel called “Bandar Apna Dost”. This channel has become a global leader in the AI-generated niche, likely earning an estimated USD 4.25 million in total. Its content typically features repetitive, AI-animated storylines involving a monkey and a character resembling the Hulk.
Despite the simplistic nature of the animations, the channel commands billions of views. By leveraging AI to produce multiple videos daily, the creators maintain a constant presence in YouTube’s Shorts and Kids categories. This high-frequency posting strategy allows the channel to capture a significant share of the platform’s global advertising pool.
AI-Based Video Making Channel Algorithmic Exploitation and Revenue
Industry analysts point out that “AI slop” channels succeed by exploiting the way YouTube’s algorithm identifies trending patterns. Because AI tools can generate scripts and visuals in minutes, these channels can react to data trends much faster than traditional creators. The channel has gained around 2.4 billion views by producing AI videos.
The revenue milestone for “Bandar Apna Dost” underscores the massive profitability of automated content. While YouTube has implemented policies requiring creators to disclose the use of synthetic media, the enforcement of quality standards remains a challenge. The platform currently struggles to distinguish between creative uses of AI and purely “slop” content designed solely for ad-revenue harvesting.
Platform Response and Future Outlook
Researchers say the popularity of AI-generated “slop” channels lies in their simplicity, absurdity and emotional hooks. Tech and digital rights researcher Rohini Lakshané notes that India-based Bandar Apna Dost thrives on hyper-masculine tropes and the absence of a clear storyline, making it easy for new viewers to engage. Similar high-performing channels include Singapore-based Pouty Frenchie, which targets children and earns an estimated USD 4 million annually, US-based Cuentos Facinantes with over 6.6 million subscribers, and Pakistan’s The AI World, which posts AI-generated disaster-themed shorts and has amassed more than 1.3 billion views. Fact Check: Check Truth Behind Young India Sensational Vaibhav Suryanvanshi Posing With Abhinandan Cup Trophy As ‘1-Year-Old’.
Experts say these channels are part of a growing, semi-organised industry where creators share tips and sell courses on platforms such as Telegram and Discord to monetise YouTube and Meta using AI tools. Journalist Max Read notes that many creators come from middle-income countries where YouTube earnings can exceed local wages, though the ecosystem is opaque and rife with scams. YouTube has stated that AI is merely a tool and that all content must comply with its community guidelines, regardless of how it is produced.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 30, 2025 10:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).