The internet is filling up with what many now call “AI slop”—content churned out by generative models with little to no human touch. It looks polished on the surface, but often feels bland, repetitive, or even misleading. As communications leaders, we face a dilemma: how do we embrace the efficiency of AI without letting our voices drown in this growing tide of mediocrity?
Why slop happens—and why it matters
Generative AI has lowered the cost of producing text, visuals, even video avatars. But ease creates risk: the more content is mass-produced, the more it converges into sameness. Without critical review, mistakes and cultural mismatches become obvious.
- Voice mismatches: AI avatars sometimes default to the wrong accent—for example, a Canadian-accented avatar addressing a French audience. Nobody asked the obvious: “Does this sound authentic for my audience?”
- Generic tropes: AI-generated posts often rely on cliché emojis (🚀, 🔥, 🌟) or templated phrasing. Instead of standing out, they blend into the noise.
- Repetitive language: A recent study found that some people are already starting to adapt their own language to resemble ChatGPT outputs, echoing its distinctive patterns and phrasing in everyday writing and speech (TechRadar).
The bigger danger is structural. When AI trains on AI-generated data, quality spirals downward. Researchers warn of “model collapse”: generative systems fed synthetic data lose accuracy and diversity, amplifying errors in a feedback loop (Nature). In other words, if today’s slop becomes tomorrow’s training set, the machine itself deteriorates.
The risks for communications
Sloppy content is more than an aesthetic problem—it erodes trust and weakens brands.
- Erosion of credibility: A University of Surrey study found that AI tools are already “weakening the quality of published research,” producing texts that look credible but lack rigor (University of Surrey). The same applies to corporate comms: polished but shallow content undermines authority.
- Oversimplification: A Royal Society Open Science study showed that chatbots oversimplify and misrepresent scientific findings, especially in technical domains (LiveScience). Accuracy suffers just where precision is most needed.
- Audience fatigue: NielsenIQ found that poorly designed AI ads increase cognitive effort for viewers, reducing engagement and recall (NielsenIQ). Audiences are more sensitive to bad AI than many assume. When content looks, sounds, and feels generic, stakeholders notice—even subconsciously. They may not call it slop, but they will trust you less.
Keeping our voice: the human imperative
Against this backdrop, the antidote is deceptively simple: never abdicate your voice.
Your unique tone, judgment, and perspective are what separate your brand from the noise. Lose them, and your output becomes indistinguishable from competitors—or worse, from automated spam.
How to use AI without becoming slop
1. Writing: pair efficiency with originality
- Embed your own context: Load custom systems with past press releases, reports, and style guides so drafts echo your history, not generic internet prose.
- Define voice explicitly: Be precise about vocabulary and tone. Do you say “clients” or “customers”? Are you formal or casual? AI can only echo what you define.
- Divide tasks wisely: Let AI summarize reports or draft background material, but keep humans on key messaging. Always ask: “Could my competitor publish this as-is?” If yes, push for a fresher angle.
- Use role play: AI can help you break clichés by simulating new perspectives: “Explain this like a post-war French philosopher” or “as if you lived in a Bombay slum.”
Academic work backs this: over-reliance on AI reduces critical thinking and decision-making (SpringerOpen). Treat AI as teammate, not replacement.
2. Visuals: resist the sheep effect
Visual platforms are saturated with AI trends: Studio Ghibli landscapes, Pixar-like avatars, “starter pack” memes. Pretty, yes—but predictable. They betray the prompt behind them and make brands look derivative.
Contrast this with artists who use AI to invent new universes. Paris-based creator Mathieu Stern (IfOnly) reimagines Haussmann buildings as surreal dreamscapes—work that caught luxury brands’ attention because it felt original, not templated. Similarly, the AI-driven film Critterz was developed with entirely new characters and a singular universe—showing that even OpenAI and its production partners recognize that originality is essential for such a project to succeed.
Consumer research supports this: uncanny, generic AI images turn viewers off, while imaginative visuals spark curiosity (NielsenIQ). Originality is not optional—it’s survival.
Conclusion: AI as amplifier, not replacement
The choice isn’t between AI and no AI. The real choice is between AI as a slop machine and AI as a creativity amplifier.
Used uncritically, AI produces forgettable sameness, undermines trust, and erodes skill. Used wisely—with context, imagination, and strong review—it expands possibilities. It can free time for strategy, help us role-play new perspectives, and enable visuals and narratives that would otherwise be impossible.
The test is simple: does this reflect my unique voice and judgment? If not, it’s slop. If yes, AI has done its job—not to replace us, but to amplify what only we can bring.
Reflective question for leaders: Next time you publish AI-assisted content, ask: “Could my competitor post this?” If the answer is yes, change it. Originality is your greatest safeguard in the age of machines.