Evaluating the Impact of AI-Driven Content Creation: An Analysis of the Gaps Created by High-Fidelity Generative Models

This paper analyzes engagement patterns of AI-generated versus human-generated video content using a dataset collected via the YouTube Data API. A total of 990 videos from 100 channels were evaluated using metrics including engagement rate, like-to-view ratio, and comment-to-view ratio. Results indicate that AI-generated content achieves higher reach through short-form, high-frequency publishing strategies, while human-generated content demonstrates stronger audience engagement and interaction depth. These findings highlight complementary roles of AI efficiency and human creativity in digital content ecosystems and emphasize the importance of human–AI collaboration in future content creation workflows.