I said this would happen… | Google and AI

There’s a popular narrative that AI is going to “democratize” content creation and level the playing field for independent creators.

But moves like Google’s investment in Animaj suggest something very different.

Animaj is a children’s media company whose channels generated 22 billion views last year. Now Google is investing directly into the company — and that tells us a lot about how major platforms actually think about AI and content pipelines.

In this video, I break down:

• Why AI is not the great equalizer people think it is
• How large platforms will use AI to consolidate power, not distribute it
• Why owning the content pipeline is more valuable than simply hosting creators
• How platform investments can create circular advertising ecosystems
• Why moderation efforts targeting “AI slop” may actually be about control, not quality

If Google invests in content creators like Animaj, promotes their channels, and then collects advertising revenue from that content — the platform effectively captures both sides of the transaction.

Creators still exist on the platform, but the platform increasingly owns the ecosystem.

AI doesn’t eliminate gatekeepers.

It may simply create new ones with far more control.