How everything became AI slop

I tried to understand if these images are ruining the internet
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Something strange is happening to Facebook. Over the last few years, the algorithmically suggested images on users’ feeds have become more and more bizarre: Elderly people celebrating impossibly ancient birthdays, artists standing next to intricate woodcarving creations, Jesus appearing in front of airplane cabin crews. It’s being called “AI slop” — AI-generated images designed to bait engagement by eliciting strong emotional reactions. I set out to understand why so many people are seeing this stuff on social media, and what it might mean for how we understand the images we see on the internet.

If you liked this video, you'll love this one from our friends at @Howtown about the difficulty of verifying if images are AI-generated: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO0WvudbO04

Check out all of 404 Media's coverage of AI slop: https://www.404media.co/tag/ai-slop/

And read Renée DiResta and Josh A. Goldstein's analysis of Facebook AI slop pages: https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/how-spammers-and-scammers-leverage-ai-generated-images-on-facebook-for-audience-growth/

Special thanks to:
• Théodore Cazals
• Jiaru Tang
• Terence Broad

-- VIDEO CHAPTERS --
00:00 What is AI slop?
02:35 Why does it look like that?
06:47 Why are so many people seeing it?
08:44 How are people making money on it?
11:41 Is it tricking people?
15:34 What can we do about it?

Hello and welcome! Tunnel Vision is a new independent video news show that dives deep into mysteries from all corners of the internet. With a commitment to transparency, we pull back the curtain on the journalistic process, emphasizing the journey of discovery rather than simply presenting the final answer.

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About:
Christophe Haubursin is a journalist and video creator. Before launching Tunnel Vision he worked at Vox.com for 8 years, where he made videos for Vox’s YouTube channel, hosted the show Glad You Asked, and produced on the Netflix series Explained. He lives in Brooklyn.

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Twitter: / haubursin

AI Disclosure: I used an AI tool to make the AI slop examples match the words of my voiceover at 2:01. We’ll add a disclosure like this to the video description anytime I use AI to generate imagery that appears onscreen. We're learning as we go about AI usage and transparency, and appreciate your thoughts.