Social media feeds are filling with AI-generated images and videos that users call „slop.“ The content often shows bizarre scenes like impoverished children with thick beards sitting in rain with birthday cakes. One such image on Facebook earned nearly one million likes. According to BBC News, this wave of low-quality AI content is changing how people use social platforms.
Théodore, a 20-year-old student from Paris, started tracking the trend after seeing the absurd images go viral. He launched an account called „Insane AI Slop“ on X to call out fake content. His following grew to over 133,000 people. Common themes include religious content, military images, and poor children doing impressive things. Théodore says creators make this content because people find it wholesome.
Tech Companies Embrace AI Tools
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors in October that social media entered a third phase centered on AI. The first phase showed content from friends and family. The second added creator content. Now AI makes it easier to create and remix material, he said. Meta launched tools that let users generate images and videos across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan wrote that more than one million channels used the platform’s AI tools in December alone. Research from AI company Kapwing found that 20% of content shown to new YouTube accounts is now low-quality AI video. The AI slop channel with the most views is India’s Bandar Apna Dost, which has 2.07 billion views and earns an estimated $4 million yearly.
Users Push Back Against Fake Content
Concerns About Brain Rot and Trust
A backlash is growing in comment sections. One video showing a snowboarder rescuing a wolf from a bear got 932 likes. But a comment saying „Raise your hand if you’re tired of this AI s**t“ received 2,400 likes. YouTube removed some disturbing AI cartoons after Théodore complained. The videos showed gory scenes and strange stories about parasites and monsters.
Alessandro Galeazzi from the University of Padova says the flood of low-quality content might reduce attention spans. He calls it „brain rot“ and warns people will stop checking if videos are real. Emily Thorson from Syracuse University says it matters how people use platforms. If they want entertainment, AI content may not bother them. But if they want to learn or connect, they may see it as a problem.
Many tech companies cut moderation teams and now rely on users to label fake content. Théodore feels the battle is lost. He posts less often and has resigned himself to AI slop as the new normal online.
