New paper 'AI Slop' defines the phenomenon: negligible exertion, asymmetric imposition, domain degradation
LuizaJarovsky · x · 2026-09-06
Profs. Jessica Silbey and Woodrow Hartzog published a new paper, "AI Slop," following up on "How AI Destroys Institutions." They propose a provisional definition: output of a generative, probabilistic automated system produced with little exertion that asymmetrically burdens recipients and tends to degrade cultural domains. All AI slop has three constituent parts — negligible exertion, asymmetrical imposition, and domain degradation — and exists on a spectrum. The paper analyzes how slop is reshaping how people create, consume, and assess textual, visual, and auditory content, and what this means for AI governance, ethics, and policy.
Related event: Scholars Define "AI Slop" and How Low-Effort AI Content Erodes Culture(2 posts)→
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