60% of TikTok's feed is now AI slop, report finds

Almost 60% of videos served to new TikTok users are AI-generated slop, three times the saturation rate on YouTube, according to a new report from San Francisco video editing company Kapwing. The findings reveal how thoroughly algorithmic feeds have been colonised by low-quality synthetic content.

It becomes even worse when it comes to the younger generation. According to Kapwing, the "Kids" category is characterised by the highest density of AI slop. The hashtag #cartoonkids is "almost entirely made of slop, with only three of the 100 videos being human-created".

When kids browse TikTok for educational or entertaining human-made content, they end up seeing AI-created material on their feeds.

Once a user shows interest in AI-created videos, TikTok starts providing more of them. It is how the vicious cycle works.

Experts warn the exposure carries developmental consequences. Low-quality, "brain-melting" AI material could endanger children's cognitive development. Simultaneously, photorealistic deepfakes are facilitating the spread of misinformation and political propaganda across platforms.

On other social networking sites, Facebook and Instagram, belonging to Meta, have become unrecognisable wastelands, according to user comments. These sites are filled with strange images generated by AI of poor kids who have no legs and arms and beg on roads and video footage showing anthropomorphic cats murdering their young ones in meat grinders.

TikTok introduced controls in November through which users could increase or decrease the amount of AI content. YouTube has started marking AI-generated videos but not altered the recommendation algorithm yet.