Health experts warn YouTube AI content for babies may distort developing sense of reality

Child development specialists are cautioning parents about the growing presence of AI-generated videos targeted at very young children, warning that such content may disrupt how kids learn to distinguish what is real. The concerns were reported by Bloomberg, with additional data from the Pew Research Center and comments from YouTube representatives.

AI-created clips—often depicting impossible scenes crafted with tools such as Google’s Nano Banana or OpenAI’s Sora—have become commonplace across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. According to Pew Research Center findings, more infants and toddlers are watching these platforms than ever before. Sixty percent of U.S. parents with children under two say their toddlers are regular YouTube viewers, and one-third report daily viewing. Roughly 70% of young children who use mobile devices watch videos on YouTube or YouTube Kids.

Because children’s brains reach about 90% of their development by age five, early exposure to unrealistic AI-generated “slop” could affect how they understand the world, experts say. Rachel Franz, program director at the child-advocacy organization Fairplay and an early childhood educator, told Bloomberg that infants exposed to a steady stream of fabricated imagery may struggle to build a clear sense of truth. “When their brains are first being wired, they’re getting an understanding of what’s the truth and what’s not,” she said. “If what’s being wired into their brains is a bunch of AI slop, it’s going to impact their understanding of the world.”

Jenny Radesky, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at the University of Michigan Medical School, also emphasized that many popular videos for kids are optimized mainly to grab attention rather than provide meaningful storytelling or educational value. She warned parents that fast-paced, commercially driven content may not support healthy development.

YouTube, however, pushed back on claims that low-quality AI material is dominating children’s feeds. Spokesperson Nicole Bell told Bloomberg that YouTube’s algorithm and monetization systems are designed to penalize spam-like mass-produced content aimed at kids. Bell said the high number of children watching YouTube reflects the trust parents place in the platform.

The concerns follow related research from the American Psychological Association in November 2025, which found that repeated exposure to short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram can have harmful cognitive effects, even describing the impact as “brain rot.”