Odd Lots · Thursday, September 24, 2026
Taylor Lorenz observes that many YouTubers are now using AI-generated scripts, with viewers often praising the content without realizing its origin. Similarly, AI-generated Reels are gaining significant views, though Lorenz emphasizes that users dislike feeling deceived by such content.
“I don't know if you guys have noticed, but All these YouTubers are just reading AI-generated scripts now, and it's so... And you look at the comments, people will be like, amazing analysis, great script. So I think people actually like it sometimes when they don't know they're consuming it. Sometimes they actively know they're consuming it. I think people just don't want to feel tricked. That's when it starts to feel bad because you're like, oh.”
“And I think that when I looked up recently, what were the top 20 most viewed reels ever? And I think two to three were AI generated, like pretty recent ones.”
“I think that's really bad to essentially monetize confusion. And I think that's a short-term benefit with really bad long-term results.”