#Tag · bonfire.cafe

Seth of the Fediverse and 4 others boosted

More than 20% of the videos that YouTube’s algorithm shows to new users are “AI slop”
– low-quality AI-generated content designed to farm views, research has found.

The video-editing company Kapwing surveyed 15,000 of the world’s most popular YouTube channels
– the top 100 in every country
– and found that 278 of them contain only AI slop.

Together, these AI slop channels have amassed more than 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers,
-- generating about $117m (£90m) in revenue each year, according to estimates.

The researchers also made a new YouTube account and found that 104 of the first 500 videos recommended to its feed were AI slop.

One-third of the 500 videos were “ #brainrot”, a category that includes AI slop and other low-quality content made to monetise attention.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/27/more-than-20-of-videos-shown-to-new-youtube-users-are-ai-slop-study-finds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

the Guardian

More than 20% of videos shown to new YouTube users are ‘AI slop’, study finds

Low-quality AI-generated content is now saturating social media – and generating about $117m a year, data shows

Chuck Darwin

@cdarwin@c.im · 4 weeks ago

More than 20% of the videos that YouTube’s algorithm shows to new users are “AI slop”
– low-quality AI-generated content designed to farm views, research has found.

The video-editing company Kapwing surveyed 15,000 of the world’s most popular YouTube channels
– the top 100 in every country
– and found that 278 of them contain only AI slop.

Together, these AI slop channels have amassed more than 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers,
-- generating about $117m (£90m) in revenue each year, according to estimates.

The researchers also made a new YouTube account and found that 104 of the first 500 videos recommended to its feed were AI slop.

One-third of the 500 videos were “ #brainrot”, a category that includes AI slop and other low-quality content made to monetise attention.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/dec/27/more-than-20-of-videos-shown-to-new-youtube-users-are-ai-slop-study-finds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

the Guardian

More than 20% of videos shown to new YouTube users are ‘AI slop’, study finds

Low-quality AI-generated content is now saturating social media – and generating about $117m a year, data shows

Martin Dougiamas

@martin@openedtech.social · last month

#brainrot

A couple of large studies that found that heavy consumption of short-form video was associated with poorer cognition, especially in regard to attention spans and impulse control, as well as increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and loneliness, and decreased academic performance.

(No actual strong causal evidence yet, but still, it seems sensible to limit random video consumption for yourself and others)

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41231585/

https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30648764

devSJR :python: :rstats: boosted

Caspar Fairhall

@caspar@hachyderm.io · 2 months ago

New Cornell study: “Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioural levels.” — what’s the betting that your ability to code is eroded by AI use as well?

I mainly use LLMs as a kind of interactive documentation, and never for producing code. That’s mainly because even tools such as Claude Code have coding habits I despise. But keeping my coding brain sharp seems like another good reason to be cautious.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872

#ai #llm #brainrot #aibrainrot #claude #chatgpt

arXiv.org

Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task

This study explores the neural and behavioral consequences of LLM-assisted essay writing. Participants were divided into three groups: LLM, Search Engine, and Brain-only (no tools). Each completed three sessions under the same condition. In a fourth session, LLM users were reassigned to Brain-only group (LLM-to-Brain), and Brain-only users were reassigned to LLM condition (Brain-to-LLM). A total of 54 participants took part in Sessions 1-3, with 18 completing session 4. We used electroencephalography (EEG) to assess cognitive load during essay writing, and analyzed essays using NLP, as well as scoring essays with the help from human teachers and an AI judge. Across groups, NERs, n-gram patterns, and topic ontology showed within-group homogeneity. EEG revealed significant differences in brain connectivity: Brain-only participants exhibited the strongest, most distributed networks; Search Engine users showed moderate engagement; and LLM users displayed the weakest connectivity. Cognitive activity scaled down in relation to external tool use. In session 4, LLM-to-Brain participants showed reduced alpha and beta connectivity, indicating under-engagement. Brain-to-LLM users exhibited higher memory recall and activation of occipito-parietal and prefrontal areas, similar to Search Engine users. Self-reported ownership of essays was the lowest in the LLM group and the highest in the Brain-only group. LLM users also struggled to accurately quote their own work. While LLMs offer immediate convenience, our findings highlight potential cognitive costs. Over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels. These results raise concerns about the long-term educational implications of LLM reliance and underscore the need for deeper inquiry into AI's role in learning.

Caspar Fairhall

@caspar@hachyderm.io · 2 months ago

https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.08872

#ai #llm #brainrot #aibrainrot #claude #chatgpt

arXiv.org

Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task

maco boosted

$diffractcolours$

diffractcolours

@diffrentcolours@tech.lgbt · 2 months ago

In the 2025 Jubilee of the World of Communications, brain rot was also used by Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, as he urged people to reduce their use of social media and avoid "putrefazione cerebrale".

OK I'm going to start using "putrefazione cerebrale" instead of #brainrot now.

$diffractcolours$

diffractcolours

@diffrentcolours@tech.lgbt · 2 months ago

In the 2025 Jubilee of the World of Communications, brain rot was also used by Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, as he urged people to reduce their use of social media and avoid "putrefazione cerebrale".

OK I'm going to start using "putrefazione cerebrale" instead of #brainrot now.