What is AI slop and why are more and more people losing trust in it?

What is AI slop

The word slop in English means something low-quality or made without much effort. The Cambridge Dictionary defines AI slop as low-quality digital content created by artificial intelligence.

However, researchers note that the issue is not the use of AI itself. In a scientific paper published in the journal JMIR Medical Education, AI slop is defined as material created primarily by generative AI without adequate human attention to accuracy, usefulness, and fact-checking. The authors emphasize that the key difference of such content is the lack of responsibility for the final result.

In other words, the problem lies not in the technology, but in its use for mass-producing content without editing and verification.

Why AI slop is becoming a problem

Creating text, images, or videos using AI today can be done in seconds. This has led to the internet rapidly filling up with similar publications, automatically generated images, fake news, and SEO articles.

Researchers identify three characteristic features of AI slop:
— externally, the content looks high-quality but lacks depth
— it requires a minimal amount of time and effort to create
— it can be produced almost infinitely in large volumes.

This is why it is becoming increasingly difficult for users to distinguish truly useful information from automatically generated material.

Why people trust such content less and less

The main reason is the loss of trust.

First, AI slop often contains factual errors or fabricated data. Generative models can create convincing but incorrect information.

Second, such content often does not bring new value. Many publications repeat existing materials, changing only the wording.

Third, AI slop is increasingly used to attract traffic. Websites publish dozens or hundreds of automatically created articles to appear in search results and earn from advertising, rather than to help the reader. As a result, finding quality information becomes more difficult.

You can read more about the impact of AI slop on search results here.

The problem extends beyond social networks

The phenomenon of AI slop affects not only TikTok or Facebook.

In 2026, Pangram Labs researchers analyzed over a million posts on the internet and found that nearly half of long posts on LinkedIn were entirely created by artificial intelligence. This indicates that generative content is actively used even in professional environments.

The problem has also affected software development. According to a study by scientists from several universities, AI slop is beginning to appear in software code, documentation, and reports. This increases the workload for specialists who have to spend more time verifying automatically created materials.

Can high-quality content be created by AI

Experts emphasize that not all material created with the help of artificial intelligence is AI slop. If the author uses AI as an assistant, independently checks facts, edits the text, and adds their own expertise, such material can be of high quality.

Therefore, there is a growing sentiment that AI slop is not a problem of artificial intelligence as a technology, but a problem of irresponsible use of the tool.

What comes next

As generative AI develops, the volume of automatically created content will continue to grow. Along with this, original materials based on expertise, research, and real experience will become increasingly valuable.

For users, the key skill is critical thinking: checking sources, comparing information, and paying close attention to what appears in the feed or search results. It is human verification and responsibility that today remain the main difference between quality content and AI slop.