AI Slop Is Destroying the Internet. These Are the People Fighting to Save It
The internet used to feel messy but human. Now it’s drowning in what many call “AI slop” — cheap, mass-produced text, images, and videos built to grab attention and cash in on clicks. From fake food clips to bogus research papers and deepfake abuse, AI content is flooding feeds, search results, and even academic journals. Most of us see it. Few of us find it useful. And the platforms pushing AI are often the same ones struggling to control it.
This piece follows the creators, researchers, and developers fighting back. Bakers recreate viral AI food videos in real life to prove the difference. Scientists build tools to flag fake studies. Engineers experiment with watermarking systems to verify what’s real. Others are launching AI-free spaces that prioritize human-made content. The battle isn’t about banning AI. It’s about protecting creativity, trust, and basic reality online. Because if we can’t tell what’s real — or if real voices get buried — the internet stops serving people and starts serving machines.