Sick of AI slop online? You’re not alone, but most people have no idea what to do about the problem. I offer my thoughts as a veteran of the publishing industry.
These days, there are few topics as controversial as AI, especially in the publishing industry. It’s been the topic of a few big articles recently, but more importantly are the conversations and changes which have taken place quietly behind the scenes.
I’ve been on the digital publishing side of the industry for well over a decade as a staff writer, contributor, editor, and higher up the food chain. From that experience, I can tell you many might claim they don’t trust artificial intelligence, and yet they use it in ways which might seem hypocritical or even shocking.
I recently tried reading an article in WIRED (it as paywalled) about one of the big five publishers using an AI assistant, with many in the company openly rebelling against it before the company ditched the tool. However, the workforce is still angry about the move, taking it as a personal affront. I’ve seen similar scenarios play out before.
Another recent article in Publishers Weekly claims that while publishers are pushing artificial intelligence implementation in editorial processes and other functions, employees are putting on the brakes. I think many feel threatened by technology which they fear could replace them. Others don’t trust the judgment of AI, and then there are plenty who probably are a mix of the two.
I watched as big publishing platforms online went from swearing they would never use artificial intelligence in their editorial process to jumping headlong into its adoption. Aggregate sites have really leaned into the tech, using AI to comb through syndicated articles for anything which might violate contractual terms with publishers, both big and small.
Ironically, many of these aggregate sites won’t allow publishers to use AI in the production of articles. Everything is supposed to be handwritten, but I know for a fact a growing number of publishers try to sneak AI into the process anyway. If you’ve noticed an explosion in online content over the past two years, this is the main driving force.
That’s one consequence of artificial intelligence being used in the publishing industry. Another is AI assistants at most aggregate sites have replaced virtually all human contacts for publishers. When an article is rejected for what seems to be a superfluous reason by the AI editor, publishers have to make their appeal to the AI, which of course usually doesn’t see the error of its ways. Getting your petition in front of an actual human is tricky since most of the human editors have been let go.
That’s another consequence of implementing AI at a large scale in publishing: writers and editors both have been kicked to the curb. Of those who remain, many have seen pay cuts when their pay rates already weren’t great. Sadly, the industry already commoditized talent years ago and now sees artificial writers as perhaps superior to the humans. After all, robots don’t sleep, take vacations, or balk at what they view as ethical violations.
I see plenty of people online complaining about “AI slop” articles. Yet few if any seem to understand publishers don’t really care what they think. Publishers just need eyeballs on content so ads are seen and revenue is generated; they’ll take your hate click if there’s money in it. An AI tool costs significantly less than an entire editorial team, plus it can churn out articles with a fury, hence the deluge of online slop. It’s all a numbers game at this point.
What can be done? I would say to not reward websites which obviously are using AI to produce articles, but that’s far easier said than done. I think the average web user doesn’t have the skills to tell the difference between AI and human writing, nor do they genuinely care. Many are cruising the internet for the most shocking, enraging stories and quite a few publishers without scruples will twist information in any way to provide what the people want. It’s almost like a linguistical version of Roman gladiator arenas where the crowds aren’t there for poetry or deep philosophy, just blood and gore.
My hope is enough of the public will become so tired of the AI slop writing that they will support those who go a different way. That will mean seeking out more independent publishers, including indie authors, as well as smaller companies which adhere to higher standards, even if they’re not publishing at the same volume as competitors.
Will that actually happen? The pessimist in me rolls his eyes and says nobody but a few writers and editors really care. But the better part of me wants to believe there are still many people who want writing that’s human, ethical, thoughtful, and most importantly hopeful.
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