AI 'slop' flooding your social media? How to avoid it
The fast-paced evolution of technology has led to the emergence of a new phenomenon called 'slop' - a term that refers to low-quality, AI-generated content on social media. The content, usually generated by accounts with generic names, is made to garner clicks and likes. The creators of slop manipulate social media algorithms for profit through sites' content monetization schemes.
AI slop: A growing concern on social media platforms
A study by Stanford and Georgetown University researchers found that posts from unknown accounts, recommended by Facebook's algorithm, increased from 8% in 2021 to 24% in 2023. This shows how much AI slop has taken over users' feeds. The content often features fake news stories about world events or celebrities like Elon Musk.
AI slop and its impact on user perception
AI slop isn't usually produced with the intention of deceiving users but to drive engagement through likes and comments. However, this can result in misinformation as users find it difficult to differentiate between real news and AI-generated content. For example, a real photo of cars stacked up in the street after devastating floods in Spain earlier this year was rejected by some commenters as AI-generated "fake news."
The broader implications of AI slop
AI slop not only clutters the internet with meaningless noise but also fuels recursive training, where AI systems are trained on datasets that increasingly contain material that's also AI-generated. This feedback loop can result in more homogenized outputs and a higher risk of errors and biases. The environmental cost of creating this unnecessary content is also huge as AI deep learning models consume tons of energy, water, and carbon emissions.
How to combat the spread of AI slop
To fight against the spread of AI slop, users should ignore such posts and avoid liking or commenting on them. Reporting/blocking accounts that create this content can also work. Platforms like Facebook offer users the option to hide, report, or block posts they think are spreading false information or spam. Supporting real creators by engaging with their content can also help algorithms prioritize quality over AI-generated slop.
