Mark Rober Says Real-World Stunts Can Beat AI Video Clutter

In an interview with Business Insider, Rober compared watching a simulated basketball dunk with seeing a person perform the trick. “The fact that you know it’s real is what makes it crazy,” he said. His popular videos include “How to Survive a Grenade Blast,” with 100 million views, and “Can you swim in Jello?,” with 224 million.

Rober said his real-world experiments and recognizable personality give his channel an advantage over AI-made content, at least for now. “At least for a while, I think I have a moat on the YouTube channel,” he said. He added that technical execution alone may become less valuable as more creators produce similar material more quickly and cheaply, potentially putting anonymous narration and animation channels under pressure.

Rober said his videos generated about $17 million in revenue last year, roughly matching their production costs. He also earns money through CrunchLabs, which sells products such as maker kits designed to introduce young people to science and engineering. The company employs more than 200 people, and its mission centers on inspiring curiosity and learning. “Curiosity is so important in this new age of AI,” he said. “It means you just have a lifetime of learning.”

AI can also help creators reach new audiences. Linguana, a translation startup, uses AI dubbing and manages local YouTube channels, including translated thumbnails and descriptions. In April 2025, the company told Business Insider it was producing 10,000 video translations a month for hundreds of YouTubers. It takes half of the revenue generated through its partnerships rather than charging creators upfront.