A.I. Slop Is Taking Over The DIY Space On Social Media (And Most People Can’t Recognize It)
Over the last week or so, I’ve spent quite a bit of my evenings on YouTube watching videos and getting inspired for some outdoor projects I want to do. And one evening, rather than watching longer videos, I started scrolling through YouTube shorts. The YouTube algorithm first started showing me shorts from creators I follow, and then it started feeding me shorts from creators I had never heard of before. And then, it started showing me one A.I. video after another.
These A.I. shorts and reels are everywhere these days, flooding the DIY space online. But the most amazing thing to me is that when I read the comments on these videos, it seems like the overwhelming majority of people can’t tell that they’re A.I. I think that’s really problematic, and I’m really starting to loathe A.I. because of this.
I know that when we’re dealing with a topic like DIY projects, it’s not a huge deal. I mean, from my perspective, it is a problem because people are going to see these videos, get inspired to try these projects, spend their hard earned money on all of the materials, and then try the projects, but their project isn’t going to turn out anything like what they’ve seen on the A.I. video. I don’t like that at all. I don’t like the idea of these A.I. videos overpromising on the outcome of these DIY projects.
But when I realize how few people can tell the difference between real DIY videos and A.I. DIY videos, even now when A.I. still isn’t that great (I mean, it’s very good, but still it’s not perfect), it makes me really nervous about how A.I. is going to be used to so easily trick the vast majority of people in areas that are a lot more serious than DIY projects.
Let me show you just a few examples. I came across this video of a woman making an epoxy resin chandelier. The result is absolutely stunning. Of course it is. The whole thing is A.I. This isn’t a real person doing a real project. I mean, the project is probably doable. In fact, I’d love to try it. But it’s not going to be nearly as effortless as this “person” makes it look.
First, we see her cutting these ovals out of a chiffon-type fabric. And you can see that she’s cutting perfect ovals with no pattern. Okay, sure, maybe some people can do that. I can’t. But notice the size of the oval she’s cutting here. It’s smaller than the rest of the stack.
But when she goes to place it on the stack, it’s the same size as the rest.
And then she dips those fabric ovals into an epoxy resin that has been tinted pink.
Next, she drapes those resin-coated fabric ovals over the end of a stick.
First, notice how thick that resin is. You’re not going to get that thickness by dipping chiffon one time into resin. It would take several dips to get to that thickness. Also, notice how the resin is literally running off the bottom of the fabric, so it’s still very wet. And yet, the fabric oval has miraculously formed this perfect shape that looks like blown and twisted glass. That’s not how resin works. A piece of fabric that is soaking wet with resin still in its very liquid form would never take and hold a shape like that.
Next, she drills a tiny hole through the top of the dried resin/fabric piece for the cord to pass through.
But when we see a closeup of the hole, it’s much larger and going from side-to-side rather than the small hole going from top to bottom.
And here is the finished chandelier.
It’s gorgeous. But is it real? Nope. Is it doable? Yes, but this project is going to take a whole lot more time and effort than what is shown on this A.I. video. This YouTube short has over 500 comments, and almost all of them say things like, “Amazing!” and “She is an artist…truthfully” and “Your work is stupendously lovely!” and “Your talent is magical” and “You make this look so easy!” and on and on. Many people asked about the supplies used, but of course, those questions go unanswered because the only “supply” used here was an A.I. video maker. Out of those 500+ comments, only a handful recognized this as an A.I. video. This entire Epoxy Muse channel on YouTube is nothing but A.I. videos, but reading the comments on the videos, only a tiny fraction of the commenters seems to recognize it as such.
Here’s another project from Epoxy Muse — a terrazzo-inspired planter. First, she breaks up about five glass bottles in different colors.
And then she pours that tiny amount of glass into concrete.
It never shows her adding more glass. That’s it. Just five broken bottles in that large amount of concrete.
Next, she pours a little bit of the mixture into a five-gallon bucket and places another bucket inside. Let’s not overlook the fact that she’s doing all of this while effortlessly kneeling on gravel.
And then she fills up the sides with the rest of the concrete/glass mixture. Notice how the inside bucket has gone from translucent to white. Also, that inside bucket has ridges along the top. How do you get that out once the concrete has dried without destroying the bucket?
But she just effortlessly lift that inside bucket out of the dried concrete with no problem. Those ridges didn’t cause any kind of problem, and they left no indentations on the inside of the dried concrete planter. And where did all of that glass come from? Also, notice the shape and size of the planter at this point.
And then tell me how the planter that came out of a five-gallon bucket magically transformed into this shape and size.
Again, is this project doable? Of course it is! But not like this. The comments are pretty standard. “Wow, a beautiful woman creating a beautiful piece with her hands … nothing can beat that … <3 ” and “I love what you’re doing”. There were several comments giving this “person” suggestions for how to break the glass safely. And of course, there were questions about the products used that went unanswered because there were no actual products used here. Out of the almost 150 comments, there were only a few that recognized this as AI.
And here’s one more from her. First, she cuts fabric into large rectangles.
Next, she dips those rectangles into green-tinted epoxy resin.
And then she takes them out and places them flat to dry. And somehow, the resin has changed the shape from wide rectangles to the long rectangles.
And then she uses these dried epoxy resin rectangles as a border for a planting bed. But now, somehow, even though these are supposed to be resin-covered fabric, the whole thing is now translucent because you can see her glove through the resin.
Again, is this project doable? Yes, it is. But in order to get those resin pieces that thick, you’d have to dip those several times into the resin to build up the thickness. There’s no way they would be that thick just dipping the fabric one time into resin.
This video also has comments complimenting the beauty of the project and asking if she sells them or has a tutorial. There are comments asking about the products used, which of course, go unanswered. At least more people were able to recognize this as A.I., but I’m seriously worried about the ones who don’t immediately recognize this as A.I.
Another channel I came across (thanks to the YouTube algorithm feeding me this slop) that is nothing but A.I. videos is this Cortes Sitio Revivi. The channel was created on March 24, 2026, so it’s not even two months old. And yet, it already has 136 projects (all YouTube shorts), 60.5K subscribers, and almost 40 million views. First of all, an older man doing 136 projects start to finish all by himself in less than two months just defies common sense. Not even a strong, energetic 25-year-old man could do 136 projects in that amount of time. But when you watch the videos, the projects are all very clearly A.I. At least, it’s clear to me. But then I read the comments, and I’m astounded at how many people can’t tell that these are all AI. This man isn’t real, and neither are his projects.
Let’s just take a look at one, but they’re all equally this obvious. He starts with this big rock that he cleans with a dry brush. First, let’s note that a rock that size would weigh…what? At least 60 pounds? That would be my guess. But it’s big, bulky, and heavy.
And take a look at how clean he got that rock with just dry brushing.
And then he effortlessly picks it up like this to set it into place. Right.
Next, he refinishes this table top. I didn’t take a screen shot, but after sanding it, he stains it a really dark brown color. VERY dark brown.
But the finished tabletop is pretty much the same color as the original. Then he lifts that very large, solid wood tabletop all by himself with his hands in this position and effortlessly puts it into place. You might also notice that the rock has gotten quite a bit bigger.
And here’s the finished table.
So let’s take a look at the comments. “Spectacular!” “What a beautiful work of art!” “You are a true craftsman. Love all your projects.” This next comment really cracked me up. Someone said, “That is a truly beautiful table, actually a legitimate art piece. One thing is you better really like where it’s placed cause it’s never moving. Outstanding craftsmanship.” So this person evidently recognizes that the thing weighs a ton and would be hard to move, and yet doesn’t question the fact that one older man, all by himself, lifted and placed all of those pieces himself.
Anyway, I could go on and on for days showing you how ridiculous these A.I. videos truly are. But I’m concerned, to say that least. We really aren’t even to the point yet where A.I. videos look 100% real, and yet, the overwhelming majority of people can’t seem to tell the difference. I’m genuinely concerned about what’s going to happen when A.I. videos are perfected (and I think that will be very soon at the rate that things are advancing). People are going to be fooled by all kinds of things, and the ramifications are far wider than just some meaningless DIY projects.
Tell me your thoughts. Have you noticed the proliferation of the A.I. slop YouTube channels? Of course, it’s not just on YouTube. They’re all over Instagram, Facebook, X, and every other social media platform. I don’t like it at all. While I can generally see inconsistencies (especially with the DIY projects) and recognize a video as A.I. for now, I know the day is coming (probably very soon) when it will look so real that it will trick all of us. I feel very uncomfortable with that. What say you?
Addicted 2 Decorating is where I share my DIY and decorating journey as I remodel and decorate the 1948 fixer upper that my husband, Matt, and I bought in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do physical work, so I do the majority of the work on the house by myself. You can learn more about me here.
Ugh! It’s everywhere. Dealing with lost dogs and dog rescue on social media, I see so much of this. And people gush over this stuff. I feel bad disillusioning them, but also want to ask HOW CAN YOU FALL FOR THIS? Check out the link to the person / page that posted videos or posts. If it’s a page full of nothing but sob stories or amazing stories and they’re so detailed and well-written, it’s AI. People are using AI to try to scam desperate people out of money. Education is key, but some people just don’t want to be educated :/
AI slop is everywhere. Guessing half the “comments” are bots. Lately my YT feed is filling up with “seniors” and their advice for whatever. Not sure what the answer is, but something needs to happen.
Totally agree with you! Everywhere you find an image, one MUST use discernment as to whether it is real or not. You can use the -AI trick when searching, but even that is not completely reliable. If it seems too easy, or not detailed enough, or an agenda is being pushed too hard, it probably is AI.
I am so glad you spent the time pointing out the “fakeness” of these AI videos. Hopefully it will educate us to look for the not so obvious signs in the vids. I fear AI is overtaking so much of social media it will cause division between us as one argues it’s true and another says it’s not. The divide between so many now is hard this will just make it worse. Thank you for true DIY projects and for this post.
AI scares me to death! Many good uses, but so deceptive.
I loath AI, but most of those comments are bots designed to boost interest. I try to report and block the accounts I find but it’s a losing battle.
It sucks, but unless a creator has multiple social media accounts to show they are real I won’t interact, not even a thumbs up.
I do not have your discerning eye and for sure would be fooled. After it is pointed out to me then of course I realize it. I myself am terrified of this. I think all AI should carry a label specifying that it is AI.
On the large social media platforms, AI videos (and presumably pictures) are supposed to be marked as such. But many creators aren’t following those rules, and even when they do, the label isn’t prominent enough for most people to notice it.
I,m with you, I think AI is very disturbing! I have seen where some are talking to dead loved ones, and programs that are supposed to be God talking. Not good 😱
Oh, I had an ad for an app that is a “virtual friend” and the husband is bragging that his wife is venting to the little alien in the app instead of to him. It was disturbing on so many levels. I was totally creeped out. And, as my son says, pretty soon the professions we rely on to be experts (doctors, architects, etc) where it’s important they actually KNOW things are going to be just ChatGPT.
So… there are AI bots commenting to drive “engagement” by humans. When we see ai posts with a certain # of comments. I tend to look at the comments, kinda like looking at an answer key in a puzzle book to see if others noticed. The best way to slow them instead of engaging, is click away, and close it. Maybe use a browser that is not chrome so the creator doesn’t earn $ from curiosity. The longer you look, the more they earn. then go to a blogger you know is a human in chrome and let their site play ads.
I am bad at spotting AI. Videos I think it’s easier as the inconsistencies are noted…but pictures or stills…I’m not great. Thankfully I am a naturally suspicious person 🙂 But it normally takes that “how did they do that??” moment for me to cotton on that it’s AI.
I hate AI in virtually every form (get it? virtually??!?!) 🙂
I agree, I can tell right away and it’s disturbing to me how many people really can’t tell. I work in higher education and AI is a REAL concern here. We’re offering a two day seminar in August for our instructors.
I wish it would just go away.
A.I. slop and the rage bait stories.
Funny that you posted this. My daughter is an adjunct professor, and she detests AI. She tells her students at the beginning of each semester that if she checks and finds that they used AI to write papers, homework, etc., it will be an automatic F.
Not to mention they are building more and more data centers that are replacing jobs. I’m near Kansas City and they keep trying to bring more and more to the area. So far, and thankfully, several have been shot down in areas surrounding me. They are sucking our resources dry. What in the world can we all do to stop this madness?! Enough is enough and I’d love to go back to a basic more simple life that I once had in the 80’s and 90’s…
Rant over 😉
Here in Tucson we voted against one because of the ridiculous water usage but guess what? It’s being built anyway and I still don’t understand how they did it.
This is why I don’t do tic tok. Well 2 reasons…any site that encourages kids to a Tide pod eating challenge should be banned and held criminally responsible. Second, I’m still concerned about being tracked on tictok and I’m not much of a conspiracy theorist.
Recently I saw an influencer I follow show how well some teeth whitening product works and the before and after couldn’t be more different. The size and shape of the teeth is totally bogus from before to after.
We’re raising a generation of sheep who will follow anything and praise them right up until they leap off the cliff!
Don’t worry about the commenters – they’re mostly AI generated as well. Sure, some will try it and find out they were duped. Next time they’ll be more careful in what they trust to be real.
It’s all about engagement. The creators couldn’t care less if people attempt the project or not. As long people are wasting their time watching this junk they’ll continue to put it out there
Her shorts are much longer in the three bucket pour video pic, then it’s back to the denim underwear.
I think its a shame that social media doesn’t at least make people label these as AI. (I have seen some labeled) I think the amount of screen time has created a problem with attention spans, discernment is obsolete or some people just dont care. Especially with shorts. I think detail-oriented people can pick AI pretty easy. My husband pointed out that one clear detail is how smooth outlines are, especially hair. Im surprised these people are allowed to generate money from this, are they?
Personally, I despise A.I.
I have from its inception. I X it out every single time I come across any vid display of it.
As to the gushing comments, folks need be aware that a LOT of those comments, if not most of them, are also BOTs and *not* real people. It’s all algorthym promoted and driven.
I’ll stick with the REAL folks like you, Kristi, that are putting in the human imagination and creativity, blood, sweat, tears, and work to make beautiful things and create beautiful environments, encouraging other folks to try their hand at doing it, too.
Did anyone notice that the young woman is holding a dripping epoxy-covered oval without any gloves on? Likewise, how smooth and perfect is the woman! Not a freckle, not a hair on her arm, etc. There are supermodels who look this good, but not really, close up. They are all made up and airbrushed, and even they do not actually look as flawless as their photos do.
This is a great post and a very useful notice to us to pay much more attention to what we choose to view. Thank you.
I couldn’t agree more. It’s been worrying me for a while. I’ve been getting music videos on Instagram and TikTok of perfect voices beautiful songs and attractive singers. It’s very disturbing!!!!
VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, it’s a frightening future of deceit
Absolutely…it should only be used as a helpful research tool. It should always be identified as AI and nothing else.
MyChart is a way to communicate online with my health care provider. Today there’s a notice on the page that some questions will be answered by AI, like it’s a good thing. Not only am I worried but I’m angry that the doctors are doing this. I don’t trust AI and now I’m not sure I trust my provider.
Ginny, Wait a bit and try out the portal to see what kind of answers you get. I’ve been an RN since 1971. I would know what kind of answer to expect but most lay people do not.
My daughter is a lawyer and she is using ChatGPT to formulate a concise answer to include everything she has scanned in. My use of AI was just using Google. Tell me the circumference of a 6 ft circle. Math was not my strong suit.
She talked me into trying it one night sooo . . . I take a few prescription meds and a whole bunch of carefully curated supplements. I scanned in my spreadsheet and asked ChatGPT to compare all these medications and find any conflicts or contraindications. I was very surprised at the thoroughness of the answers I received. So I dove further. I entered why I was taking each item. For example, it said something about taking both acetyl-L-carnitine and plain L-carnitine. Well, acetyl is what the brain needs whereas plain is used by the heart. Stuff can be converted one way or the other but your body has to work to do that. The one thing it came up with and strongly stressed was to not take ANY vitamins or minerals within a 4 hr window either way of taking my thyroid. I knew that and I don’t.
My suggestion is to ask a question you already know the answer to and see what their AI tells you. Most important answers will come from the doc or their nurse. You would not believe what questions people ask their docs! I worked for a doc for 13 years. Some things are ridiculous!
Oh Kristi! I love you! You’re looking at it from the wrong perspective! I just assume that EVERYTHING is AI. Unless there are cute kittens dancing or talking, I don’t pay any attention! I only hope the thrift shop finds are real!
I do enjoy watching many of the short sewing tricks and have sewn long enough to know if the hack can actually be done. My daughter and I are going to try the one that sews without a bobbin, just thread run thru and out the bobbin case. I believe this is AI just because I understand how a lock-stitch is formed and where the spool thread has to go to make the stitch. The spool thread would pick up the thread feeding out the bottom as well as the thread coming out the top of the bobbin case when it loops around the bobbin case. Besides that, in my 68 yrs of sewing, if there was a way to ditch the bobbin, engineers would’ve done it. When I look at my Luminaire from Brother, I see fantastic engineering both mechanical and software. I also see a bobbin. Eliminating a bobbin would be a financial boon to the garment industry.
Don’t waste your emotional energy on this crap. You are in your own lane and winning this race! There are lots of things I see online I would like to try. I need to stick to my fiber arts and life long hobbies without trying to do something that would be a P.I.T.A. to accomplish just for the sake of doing it. I enjoy taking a class now and then just because, but I usually learn quickly whether this might be worth pursuing.
Too many people do not realize the energy it takes to set up all the stuff you need just to make one item. Kinda like seeing something for sale at a craft show for $50 and you can do it yourself for just $125 in TOOLs and raw materials!
Love your vent and examples!
I am so appreciative you posted this information and appreciate the comments. This is well planned and not going away. We have had “fake” news, which isn’t truth, for years. AI is alarming. I was sharing with my daughter a news story from a trusted source and I was informed people can appear to be the person you trust, but it is a growing concern there is a real possibility they may not actually be behind the voice. This overwhelms me and I wish we could escape this technology, but it is not going to stop. God help us.
I would argue most of the comments are not from real people, but bots.
Yes, I’ve notice more and more AI garbage on YouTube and elsewhere. The problem is that even though it’s Alphabet’s (Google’s) policy to require that it be marked as AI-generated, there is no means to flag it as such.
It freaks me out!
And the more people watch, the more AI garbage there will be. It’s so frustrating. Smashing glass with a hammer without covering up arms or legs? Same outfit every time? Fake!