AI was supposed to kill video editors but MrBeast and Airrack want to create millions of new ones.

Last week, Mr. Beast announced the launch of Vyro, a clipping company that pays people to edit and create new video clips.

Earlier this year, YouTuber AirRack (17M+ subscribers) built something similar called Clip Farm, giving clippers an opportunity to earn money and for brands to work with clippers.

Both are betting big on the clipping economy, this fast-growing corner of the creator world where people get paid to make short form, viral edits of existing content to post on TikTok/YouTube Shorts/IG Reels.

While not everyone can be Mr. Beast, millions of people are able to create and edit content, while getting paid to do it.

Clippers get paid per video based on the performance of their clips.

It’s something that creators like Mr. Beast and Airrack have done in-house, but now they clearly see the commercial opportunity to provide this to brands.

What’s interesting here is what’s missing from these announcements.

Where’s the AI? We’ve all heard that AI will “replace editors.”

So why are two of the smartest creators on the planet hiring humans at scale to do the job AI is supposedly built for?

It tells you something. AI tools might be getting better at generating clips, but they’re still missing what makes a clip work: taste, intuition, and cultural context.

The smartest editors are probably using AI to assist, but not replace, their process.

So for now, “clipping” has become one of the most unexpectedly human jobs in the new media economy.