Slop is the new name for unwanted AI-generated content(simonwillison.net)
simonwillison.net
Slop is the new name for unwanted AI-generated content
https://simonwillison.net/2024/May/8/slop/
43 comments
It's been used in this meaning on 4chan for at least half a year, maybe more.
Without a doubt it originated there.
The "original" word, which "slop" came to existence, would have set internet on deeper fire if it got out of /pol/ today in light of events in israel and palestine.
"AI slop" can be found in archives as far back as 2022.
I was actually pondering the new delineation yesterday; the line between spam, propaganda, trolling, and censorship was never too fine as it is now.
I like the term slop. I needed the word yesterday.
I like the term slop. I needed the word yesterday.
LLM slop or AI slop totally works but slop just by itself is so generic, I doubt slop by itself will catch on but who knows.
Stop trying to make slop happen, it's not gonna happen.
I think it's happening. 2.3k likes on the tweet I quoted, and my Mastodon post with a screenshot of that tweet got 655 boosts already (which is a lot in that space). https://fedi.simonwillison.net/@simon/112402587787781767
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Slop is an old term for allowed overlap between objects.
as a contrast to "slip" right?
Contrast? Not that I know of. Slip is a type of collision resolution that allows obstacles to slide off each other instead of just stopping. Similar to a circle rolling with slipping down an incline.
Slop is a word for waste water and messy animal food. Don't quite understand the debates here in the comments.
I like how it sounds similar to spam.
I like how it sounds similar to spam.
A good coin, this one. It needed a simple name, and it falls perfectly into a list of "four letter words."
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Eh, the internet is full of garbage SEO-spam already. We have a word for that, which is enshittification, which imo correctly identifies the root perpetrators of the problem: platform owners utilizing monopolies.
I don't see why we need a word for AI-generated garbage specifically, not yet at least.
Like if I go onto google maps and search "Best restaurants in my area" it's going to 100% recommend fast-food chains that have purchased product placement. I don't feel AI plays a significant role in bad recommendations at this point, and to blaming/stopping AI wouldn't really help.
I don't see why we need a word for AI-generated garbage specifically, not yet at least.
Like if I go onto google maps and search "Best restaurants in my area" it's going to 100% recommend fast-food chains that have purchased product placement. I don't feel AI plays a significant role in bad recommendations at this point, and to blaming/stopping AI wouldn't really help.
Enshittification means something entirely different: it's the inevitable decline of online services as they face the pressure to continually monetize.
Plenty of examples of enshittification have nothing to do with generative AI.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification mentions Cory's alternative definition of "platform decline".
Plenty of examples of enshittification have nothing to do with generative AI.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification mentions Cory's alternative definition of "platform decline".
Platform *decay seems inadequate though because it fails to make the distinction that the platform is declining specifically in quality and likely NOT in use.
Also I wouldn't call a particular blog post's content "enshittification" anyway. "Enshittification" is a process, not a particular type of content. We have plenty of terms for the latter, like "SEO spam" or "rage bait". I don't see anything wrong with someone trying to come up with a shorthand term for "unwanted AI-generated content"
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"Enshittification" is some sort of rug pull scam. Not AI spam...
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As a small scale pig farmer, I approve of the use of this term; I care enough about the welfare of my pigs that I would never risk feeding them anything that would be considered slop. Plus, pigs fed with slop usually end up tasting bad, because they are what they eat.
A wonderfully apt metaphor that reflects both the voracious appetites of modern AI systems and the resulting quality of the results.