tech
Nearly 60% of TikTok videos shown to new users are AI slop, study finds
Kapwing found 59% of TikTok videos shown to new accounts are AI slop, three times YouTube’s rate, with kids’ content the worst-hit category.
TL;DR
- A Kapwing report analyzed 10,742 TikTok videos and found 59% served to new accounts are AI-generated 'slop'.
- This rate is approximately three times higher than what is found on YouTube.
- The Kids category on TikTok had the highest proportion of AI slop at 57%, followed by science, education, health, and history.
- Fitness, music, and fashion content had the lowest rates of AI-generated material.
- Hashtags like #CartoonKids showed 97% AI-generated content.
- Dr. Dana Suskind described the issue as 'toddler AI misinformation at an industrial scale'.
- The problem is particularly concerning for educational and health content where accuracy is crucial.
- TikTok's recommendation engine, when operating without user data, defaults to serving AI slop to new users.
- TikTok introduced controls in November 2025 to manage AI content, but Kapwing believes these are inadequate.
- Florida is suing TikTok under its child social media law, adding to regulatory pressure.
- YouTube's enforcement against inauthentic content has led to channel terminations, resulting in a stark gap between the platforms.
- AI-generated content is also flooding music streaming platforms.
- The study's limitations include Kapwing's commercial interest and subjective classification of 'AI slop', but the scale of data is comprehensive.
- The widespread presence of AI slop raises questions about authenticity and whether it's becoming a defining feature of TikTok.