The entertainment industry faces a troubling paradox: while audiences retreat to familiar comfort viewing and automated content floods platforms with minimal effort, investment in original programming is producing diminishing returns. Research from Kapwing reveals a startling truth about the modern content ecosystem. Analysis of YouTube‘s recommendation algorithm shows that roughly one-fifth to one-third of videos ... Read more
OP explained it well. The problem for us is that these companies chase infinite growth and to get that they need to look at what the people who aren’t already their customers are doing. If those people are off watching short-form AI slop it can potentially send the wrong messages.
It has been rumoured for years now that Netflix (and others) are intentionally dumbing down their scripts for people with zero attention span who watch things in the background and/or while they’re using their phone. Characters will repeatedly explain the plot at regular intervals so that the goldfish don’t lose interest and unsubscribe. As of 2025, Netflix has also begun airing new shows with AI generated content in them (in this case it replaced manual VFX work) and wants to explore the use of generative AI further.
You’re right that there’s no immediate connection and we’re not suddenly going to be deluged with AI slop on paid streaming platforms, but it’s potentially a bigger problem if we look at the longer term direction society is headed.