The AI Slop Paradox
Odds are that you've heard the term AI slop in the last few months. Wikipedia defines it as follows:
a term for low-quality media made with generative artificial intelligence.
If you've been living in a bubble, here are some recent stories on the topic:
- Spotify's new content policies won't stop its proliferation.
- AI worksplop will destroy productivity.
- It may portend the death of the creator economy.
- OpenAI's Sora 2 app just dropped. It lets anyone create godawful videos, and it's the #1 iOS app as I write these words.
It takes all of about four minutes to find AI-generated drivel in the form of art, articles, and songs. Even before Sora 2 arrived, people used AI to create insipid videos.
Concerns over AI slop may ultimately turn out to be legitimate, alarmist, or something else. Put me in the first camp. Like Rust Cohle, consider me a pessimist.
AI Slop Catches Up to Its Human Equivalent
Let's not forget, though, that old-fashioned humans continue to generate a never-ending supply of slop. Don't believe me? Allow me to present Exhibit A:
It'll only take a moment.
