In defense of AI slop?
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver did a piece on “AI slop” this past Sunday, and I find myself in a weird position of… defending the flood of AI stuff out there. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
People lament the way AI images have taken over sites like Instagram and Pinterest, but this is merely the result of a design philosophy that raises “engagement” above all else. As long as you’re clicking and scrolling, you’re doing what you’re supposed to do. The origin of the material doesn’t matter as long as you keep looking at ads. In a way, AI is perfect for this because it can provide endless material to look at, some of which is genuinely interesting.
And that’s when you get to the hard part.
Oliver used an AI band called The Devil Inside as an example of musical “slop,” but I was intrigued by the sample he played. So I sought out the band’s material on Spotify. And it’s… good. Not every song is a winner, but some of their music is fantastic, like “Tennessee Whiskey” and “Riders of the Midnight Storm.” Their music is more consistent than many living artists, and I’ve had them on repeat for days.
I’ve said this more than once: if I can’t top the work of AI authors, I can either get better or hang it up. The same goes for music, art, or any other creative endeavor. Get better or make a niche for yourself. Good luck.