YouTube has a big incentive to nuke AI spam — and it’s starting to take action

• YouTube is cracking down on AI channels that it deems spam.
• Low-quality AI videos could muddy YouTube’s pitch to marketers that it should replace premium TV.
• The share of AI-generated content on YouTube will likely grow as models improve and costs drop.

YouTube is telling advertisers it’s the future of TV. AI spam could put that story in jeopardy.

The video platform recently shut down just over a dozen popular accounts that had been churning out AI content — featuring characters like cats and Jesus — according to an analysis from Kapwing, a video editing platform. Some of the channels were picking up millions of views before going dark.

In November, Kapwing published a report that estimated 21% YouTube’s feed was AI-generated videos.

“YouTube doesn’t allow spam, scams, or other deceptive practices that take advantage of the YouTube community,” a YouTube spokesperson said when reached for comment on the removals.

This month, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said cutting down on low-quality AI content was one of the platform’s 2026 priorities.

“To reduce the spread of low-quality AI content, we’re actively building on our established systems that have been very successful in combating spam and clickbait, and reducing the spread of low-quality, repetitive content,” he said.

YouTube is not against AI.

Its parent company, Google, is one of the main innovators in AI with products like Veo 3 and Nano Banana. But YouTube needs to balance its embrace of AI with its case to brands to buy ads on its platform instead of linear TV. In recent years, the company has hosted NewFronts, content showcases, and other events to highlight its premium content slate to marketers. If repetitive AI spam gobbles up more watch time, that pitch could start to lose its luster.

“Advertisers want to advertise against quality content,” said Shira Lazar, a content creator and founder of the media brand What’s Trending. YouTube wouldn’t be able to charge premium ad rates “if the platform was just filled with AI slop,” she said.

Other social entertainment apps like TikTok and Instagram are facing a similar flood of AI videos.

TikTok even added a special toggle that lets users decide how much generative AI they see in their feed. Neither company is making as direct an appeal for TV ad budgets, though, even if Instagram hopes it can capture television eyeballs.

YouTube, meanwhile, is the top streaming platform among US TV viewers, beating out streamers like Netflix and Disney in measurement firm Nielsen’s December analysis.