🐒 Indian AI Channel ‘Bandar Apna Dost’ Rakes in $4M Annually

An India-based YouTube channel featuring AI-generated videos of a quirky anthropomorphic monkey has become the world’s most-viewed fully AI-driven channel, earning an estimated $4.25 million per year. The channel, Bandar Apna Dost, has amassed 2.07 billion views and 2.76 million subscribers with short animated clips showcasing a rhesus monkey alongside a Hulk-like character in exaggerated scenarios.

Created in 2020 by Assam’s Surajit Karmakar, the channel remained inactive for years before exploding in popularity in mid-2025 after switching to AI-generated shorts.

📊 AI Content Flooding YouTube

According to a study by video-editing firm Kapwing, which analysed 15,000 of YouTube’s top channels, 278 channels are entirely AI-generated, collectively drawing 63 billion views, 221 million subscribers, and an estimated $117 million in annual revenue.

Kapwing’s test of YouTube’s recommendation system revealed that 21% of suggested videos were AI-generated, while 33% qualified as “brainrot” — compulsive, low-quality content designed to capture attention rather than provide value. “AI slop” refers to auto-generated videos created with minimal human input, primarily to farm views.

🌍 Global AI Content Trends

• India’s Bandar Apna Dost leads in total views.

• Spain’s AI channels collectively boast 20.22 million subscribers.

• South Korea’s AI creators have generated 8.45 billion views.

• U.S.-based Cuentos Facinantes tops individual subscriber counts with 5.95 million, despite producing low-quality Dragon Ball-themed content.

🎥 YouTube’s Response

In July 2025, YouTube updated monetisation policies to better identify “inauthentic content.” While AI-assisted videos can still earn revenue if they show originality and comply with guidelines, purely auto-generated content is technically ineligible. Despite this, channels like Bandar Apna Dost continue to thrive, likely through brand deals and third-party promotions.