AI is revolutionizing how we create and consume internet content. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot can summarize lengthy articles, create LinkedIn posts, and even rewrite entire websites – all in a matter of seconds. But as the web becomes flooded with new and flashy content, a problem is emerging: AI word slop.
What is AI Word Slop?
AI word slop refers to the low-quality, AI-generated content that is beginning to pollute every platform we rely on for information, answers, and human connection. It isn’t necessarily disinformation – it is primarily vague, buzzword-filled content that doesn’t provide value. Think of an article that reads fine on the surface but leaves you wondering if you learned anything when you hit the calls-to-action at the bottom. Or a company website filled with corporate jargon and nice-sounding fluff without a clear explanation of how they can help solve your problem.
There appear to be two main drivers behind this “AI word slop” problem:
1. Intentional: Content deliberately copied and pasted from AI – without the appropriate level of oversight or editing.
2. Unintentional: Content created by businesses and content creators who simply don’t know better. Caught up in the excitement of flashy new tools and in the rush to produce more content, they sacrifice quality and authenticity for speed and volume.
Contributing to the problem is the fact that AI-generated content often sounds authoritative even when it’s wrong. As James Vincent, a journalist and writer, put it in a May 2024 article: “These systems simply make up information with incredible fluidity simply because they have no fixed database of ‘facts’ to refer to. All they can do, for better or worse, is generate words that sound likely to come next.” Without capable human supervision, AI use can subtly spread inaccuracies that mislead readers and slowly but surely erode trust in digital information. I think of it like a game of telephone – as more individuals and businesses excitedly try their hands at AI, every new output clouds the previous source’s meaning.
AI Word Slop: What Should You Do?
Be pragmatic in how you use AI. Use AI to brainstorm blog ideas or summarize complex research, but always double-check for accuracy. Encourage your business’s employees to experiment with AI to speed up their work, but don’t hand over the keys to your content. Leverage AI to proofread your website for improvements, but remember what makes content worth reading: voice, nuance, and perspective.
Humans bring what large language models (LLMs) can’t – lived experience, original thinking, and context. As a business and a consumer, strive for content that is purposeful and adds real value. Things that are true, specific, and helpful. And lean into the human side of your brand through imagery, videos, case studies, and customer testimonials.
At TRG, we believe authenticity still matters. In a world of AI word slop, that’s what stands out.
