If you have spent any time on TikTok, Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts lately, you have probably noticed the rise of strange AI videos. You know the ones: a woman “cooking” and then jumping into the pot to stir the food herself, someone flying in the air while their clothes change every few seconds, or faces morphing into cartoons in ways that make no sense. There are AI narrators with robotic voices reading random text that does not add up, and deepfake clips of public figures saying things that have no context or point.

These videos grab attention, big attention, but deliver almost nothing of value. People share them because they are shocking or funny, not because they teach, entertain with skill, or make you think. Many stop your scroll for a second, but almost none of them stick with your brain.

This is not just a feeling. A recent study of YouTube’s recommendation system found that up to one in five videos shown to a new user fit a pattern researchers call “AI slop,” meaning content made with little human input and designed to loop just enough to keep viewers watching. Online, people also call this “AI brainrot”, flashy, attention-grabbing content that lacks substance.

Research shows that consuming fast, shallow AI videos for long periods affects attention, memory, and deeper thinking skills. The more we train our brains to scroll past meaningless clips, the harder it becomes to focus or process real information. Even the coolest AI filters and voices cannot prevent this, in fact, they can leave our minds feeling less sharp, at least in terms of attention and thinking stamina.

Why so many AI videos have no point

The reason these videos are everywhere is simple: social media algorithms love them. They are cheap to make, easy to produce, and designed to keep people watching. Some channels built entirely on AI content have pulled in tens of billions of views, not because they offer insight, but because they are addictive.

Experts call this “AI slop” because it is built for engagement, not meaning. Tests simulating new user feeds show these low-value videos dominate recommendations, even though they contribute almost nothing to knowledge or understanding.

Also Read: How Nigerians Are Turning to AI for emotional support

Cognitive scientists warn that consuming this kind of content, endless short clips with little substance, trains the brain for instant rewards and constant novelty. Over time, it reduces focus and the ability to engage with more complex tasks.

What it means for Nigerian social media users

In Nigeria, social media usage is growing fast, and creators are jumping on the AI videos trend to rack up views and followers. But many of these videos do not teach, tell a story, or challenge the viewer.

Psychologists say watching shallow content constantly is not healthy. It might not literally lower IQ, but it weakens memory, focus, and problem-solving skills,  the same abilities measured in intelligence tests. If viewers get used to content that never makes them think, they start to prefer easy entertainment over anything that requires attention. This is what researchers mean when they talk about cognitive dulling.

There is a better way to use AI

AI itself is not the problem. Many Nigerian creators are using it to teach, inform, and genuinely entertain. The issue is when technology replaces creativity instead of enhancing it.

Experts advise creators to ask themselves if they are making something that teaches, inspires, or challenges. Or are you just chasing attention? They also recommend that users learn to spot meaningless AI content and focus on media that actually engages the mind. The more we demand quality, the more creators have to deliver it.

At the end of the day, the message is simple: pretty tech is exciting, but without real ideas, all the AI in the world cannot make content worth watching.

Meiza Nigeria