Watching Roku's AI channel feels like eating from a trough

Roku has added four new channels this week, including a 24/7 stream from AI startup Fairground, founded by Colin Petrie-Norris. The Fairground AI Creator TV channel curates AI-generated videos from partnered creators, but watching for about an hour reveals mostly short-form slop with no consistent theme or genre. Some videos have semi-cohesive narratives, like a horror about destroying a demon by mocking it, but the lack of visual polish makes it obvious the clips are machine-generated. Fairground emphasizes paying content partners and sharing revenue, but does not disclose which AI models are used or training data rights. The channel aims for 'the living room, not the feed,' suggesting a niche for background viewing. Roku's decision to platform such content is seen as a sign of the company's 'Fox era,' as it prioritizes quantity over quality.