{
"type": "entry",
"author": {
"name": "Jared White",
"url": "https://jaredwhite.com/",
"photo": null
},
"url": "https://jaredwhite.com/links/20250317/ai-slop-is-destroying-the-internet",
"published": "2025-03-17T22:48:45-07:00",
"content": {
"html": "<blockquote>\n <h2><a href=\"https://www.404media.co/ai-slop-is-a-brute-force-attack-on-the-algorithms-that-control-reality/\"></a></h2>\n\n <p>I think we as a society need to realize that a huge portion of what is being done with generative AI tools is for the type of thing I have described in this article, or for nonconsensual, AI-generated intimate imagery. It is possible that generative AI will bring some of the work efficiencies and breakthroughs that venture capitalists and big tech have been hyping for years, but we must grapple with the fact that the main ways that people encounter generative AI is as brute force internet pollution.</p>\n\n</blockquote>\n\n<p>There have been a handful of truly terrifying things I have read in my life. <em>1984</em> was one of those things\u2026a book I read once decades ago which still feels seared into my brain as one of the most horrendously frightening stories I have ever engaged with.</p>\n\n<p>This essay by Jason Koebler of 404 Media (always a world-class outfit) approaches that level, and is perhaps even more petrifying because\u2014unlike the fiction of <em>1984</em>\u2014<strong>this nightmare is actually happening</strong>.</p>\n\n<p>I see this issue in black and white. There is no nuance for me, no hemming and hawing required. <strong>I think <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/generativeai\">#generativeAI</a> slop should be illegal.</strong> I think it should be banned. Slop is simply a variant of spam, and just as I consider it wrong (and in some cases it is truly unlawful) to have my text messages or my email inbox filled up with spam, I feel exactly the same way about slop. I never want to see it, I will never purchase a product advertised by it, and I consider the people who produce it to be destructive agents who are degrading the integrity of the communications network that is the <a href=\"https://jaredwhite.com/tag/openweb\">#openweb</a>.</p>\n\n<p>It is utterly absurd <em>in the extreme</em> that commercial social networks allow this spam-slop to be disseminated en masse, and even more brain-melting that they <em>willingly provide tools to produce it and promote it</em>. There is no excuse. <strong>This is villainous.</strong> And while it\u2019s easy to get mad at the people who excitedly thump their chests over their \u201csuccess\u201d at slopifying the Internet and who will gleefully teach others how to exploit algorithms to make their putrid, vile slop go \u201cviral\u201d\u2014ultimately the blame lies squarely at the feet of Big Tech commercial silo platforms who <strong>refuse</strong> to put an absolute and unwavering stop to this madness.</p>\n\n<p>There\u2019s only one way out of this hellscape, only one escape hatch for us all, and that is to <strong>boycott all of these platforms</strong>*. I won\u2019t be subjected to the <em>mental abuse</em> that is consuming this kind of slop because I <em>refuse to frequent</em> the avenues where it appears. I pray you too will find the strength and fortitude to make your hasty exit. <strong>We cannot allow the destruction of the Internet to continue like this, not on our watch!</strong></p>\n\n<p>* I don\u2019t boycott YouTube per se, but I never watch Shorts and I generally subscribe and view certain videos through a third-party interface (Feedbin). Everything else is banned from my devices. <strong>Permanently.</strong></p>",
"text": "I think we as a society need to realize that a huge portion of what is being done with generative AI tools is for the type of thing I have described in this article, or for nonconsensual, AI-generated intimate imagery. It is possible that generative AI will bring some of the work efficiencies and breakthroughs that venture capitalists and big tech have been hyping for years, but we must grapple with the fact that the main ways that people encounter generative AI is as brute force internet pollution.\n\n\n\nThere have been a handful of truly terrifying things I have read in my life. 1984 was one of those things\u2026a book I read once decades ago which still feels seared into my brain as one of the most horrendously frightening stories I have ever engaged with.\n\nThis essay by Jason Koebler of 404 Media (always a world-class outfit) approaches that level, and is perhaps even more petrifying because\u2014unlike the fiction of 1984\u2014this nightmare is actually happening.\n\nI see this issue in black and white. There is no nuance for me, no hemming and hawing required. I think #generativeAI slop should be illegal. I think it should be banned. Slop is simply a variant of spam, and just as I consider it wrong (and in some cases it is truly unlawful) to have my text messages or my email inbox filled up with spam, I feel exactly the same way about slop. I never want to see it, I will never purchase a product advertised by it, and I consider the people who produce it to be destructive agents who are degrading the integrity of the communications network that is the #openweb.\n\nIt is utterly absurd in the extreme that commercial social networks allow this spam-slop to be disseminated en masse, and even more brain-melting that they willingly provide tools to produce it and promote it. There is no excuse. This is villainous. And while it\u2019s easy to get mad at the people who excitedly thump their chests over their \u201csuccess\u201d at slopifying the Internet and who will gleefully teach others how to exploit algorithms to make their putrid, vile slop go \u201cviral\u201d\u2014ultimately the blame lies squarely at the feet of Big Tech commercial silo platforms who refuse to put an absolute and unwavering stop to this madness.\n\nThere\u2019s only one way out of this hellscape, only one escape hatch for us all, and that is to boycott all of these platforms*. I won\u2019t be subjected to the mental abuse that is consuming this kind of slop because I refuse to frequent the avenues where it appears. I pray you too will find the strength and fortitude to make your hasty exit. We cannot allow the destruction of the Internet to continue like this, not on our watch!\n\n* I don\u2019t boycott YouTube per se, but I never watch Shorts and I generally subscribe and view certain videos through a third-party interface (Feedbin). Everything else is banned from my devices. Permanently."
},
"name": "Link: AI Slop is Destroying Online Reality As We Know It",
"post-type": "article",
"_id": "44235735",
"_source": "2783"
}
{
"type": "entry",
"published": "2025-03-17T20:54:05-07:00",
"url": "https://nadreck.me/2025/03/quick-updates/",
"category": [
"errata",
"site-improvement"
],
"name": "Quick Updates",
"content": {
"text": "I have a whole rant-y post that I\u2019m not posting because I\u2019m pretty sure y\u2019all are already aware of how fucked things are right now and me venting my feelings on it won\u2019t really help. So instead, a few quick site updates: \n\n\n\nUpdated the About page a little to catch it up on the fact I\u2019ve moved back to Vermont and am now doing software development rather than technical writing.\n\n\n\nAdded another aphorism to Maynard\u2019s Rules.\n\n\n\nUpdated the Walkabout gallery (now caught up to December 2023 \ud83d\ude05).\n\n\n\nVarious server-side updates that should be invisible to y\u2019all.\nI\u2019m still here.",
"html": "<p>I have a whole rant-y post that I\u2019m not posting because I\u2019m pretty sure y\u2019all are already aware of how fucked things are right now and me venting my feelings on it won\u2019t really help. So instead, a few quick site updates: </p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Updated the <a href=\"https://nadreck.me/about/\">About</a> page a little to catch it up on the fact I\u2019ve moved back to Vermont and am now doing software development rather than technical writing.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Added another aphorism to <a href=\"https://nadreck.me/maynards-rules/\">Maynard\u2019s Rules</a>.</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Updated the <a href=\"https://nadreck.me/gallery/walkabout/\">Walkabout</a> gallery (now caught up to December 2023 \ud83d\ude05).</li>\n\n\n\n<li>Various server-side updates that should be invisible to y\u2019all.</li>\n</ul><p>I\u2019m still here.</p>\n\n\n\n<img width=\"1024\" height=\"332\" src=\"https://nadreck.me/backend/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/black-dragon-utah-1024x332.jpeg\" alt=\"Black Dragon rock formation in Utah. Dark red rocks in the midground, with a cloudy sky above and a desert landscape with desert brush in the foreground.\" />"
},
"author": {
"type": "card",
"name": "Nadreck",
"url": "http://nadreck.me",
"photo": null
},
"post-type": "article",
"_id": "44234129",
"_source": "2935"
}
