Hank and John Green, YouTube icons and creators of online education shows Crash Course and SciShow, are handing over their famed production company Complexly to the public, transitioning to a nonprofit model as it combats online slop farms.
Acknowledging a rise in misinformation and low-quality content targeting online learners, Complexly’s shift to a 501(c)3 status will allow the company to pursue content that may not have commercial appeal, but instead fosters “free, independent, and trustworthy online education,” explained CEO Julie Walsh Smith. “Trust in information and access to education matter more than ever,” the company wrote in a recent press release.
“Complexly has spent 14 years building deep trust with audiences by combining creative storytelling with rigorous educational standards,” said co-founder Hank Green. Complexly was launched by the Green brothers in 2012, originally as EcoGeek LLC. The production company has since pioneered a variety of audio and video shows with support from organizations like PBS, the National Science Foundation, and Google, including SciShow Kids, podcast Dear Hank & John, and PBS offerings like The Origin of Everything and Eons.
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Part of the new nonprofit model, Complexly has committed $8.5 million to produce additional educational content in the new year, including an expanded partnership with YouTube and other education partners. As a longstanding hub for educational content online, YouTube has become embroiled in its own AI-related controversies, including concerns about the prevalence of AI slop and automated content moderation. The platform has been cracking down on deepfaked content and what it calls “low-quality clutter” in response.
Meanwhile, AI startups like industry giant OpenAI have pushed toward for-profit models and native advertising to capitalize on the new information landscape, all while doubling down on chatbot-powered offerings for schools and healthcare.
“Complexly’s mission has always been to create free, high-quality, and editorially independent educational content. We built this organization for the public good, and we’re excited to complete the final chapter of putting it entirely in the public’s hands by transitioning to a nonprofit,” said now founder emeritus John Green.
