Disney Takes a Stand in the Ongoing AI Battle

Michael Calore: The publishing industry is certainly among those most concerned about AI appropriating original work. As members of this industry, we are acutely aware of the situation. However, there’s a type of content that starkly contrasts thoughtful, human-produced material: AI slop. The term is self-explanatory, but let’s discuss what AI slop is and why it seems to be pervasive.

Lauren Goode: I can address this, but I’d also like to turn it over to Kate, since she’s the authority on AI slop. I don’t mean to imply that you create it, but you’ve extensively written on the subject. AI slop refers to low-quality, subpar AI-generated content flooding the internet, particularly in our social media feeds. It doesn’t stop there; it’s now being presented as legitimate “journalism.” For instance, last month, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer published special sections featuring summer reading lists that included entirely fictional books attributed to real authors, seemingly composed at random. But AI slop encompasses more than just fabricated content; it reflects a certain aesthetic. It embodies the troubling trend of the internet’s enshittification, a concept Cory Doctorow discussed on Wire.com a few years back. The feeling is akin to spam; sometimes it’s obvious, and other times it’s not.

Katie Drummond: So you’re saying the TikTok videos of Donald Trump and Jesus Christ strolling along the beach aren’t real?

Lauren Goode: No, those are genuine.

Katie Drummond: Oh, that makes sense.

Lauren Goode: They indeed happened.

Katie Drummond: Oh, good. I’ve been favoriting all of them because I want more. So those are AI? Understood.

Lauren Goode: Exactly! Just like JD Vance breakdancing with Pope Leo—totally real.

Katie Drummond: Oh, yes, I’ve seen that!

Lauren Goode: Yeah. He’s still kicking.

Michael Calore: Many of these examples are amusing, but some are much more serious. There was recent AI slop emerging from current events in the Middle East, correct?

Katie Drummond: Definitely.

Michael Calore: It’s alarming that politicians and world leaders may share these false narratives, knowing they are fabricated, simply because they align with their messaging.

Katie Drummond: I often joke when feeling stressed, and right now, as journalists, it’s exceedingly uncomfortable and stressful. As editor-in-chief, I feel it acutely. Watching AI slop spread across various platforms and at times being mistaken for factual information by the public is deeply concerning. Once again, we find ourselves at a critical juncture for news and media—largely due to AI and changes in how Google manages search functions. Publishers are once more under fire, and on top of that, I open TikTok to find Jesus and Donald Trump fishing, and it feels omnipresent. Journals experience this slop firsthand, witnessing its impact on the information landscape and then feeling frustrated when Google alters its AI functionalities, leading to a sudden 50% decline in search traffic, which has dire consequences for publishers. There’s also an intriguing phenomenon where AI-generated content serves as an asset for certain websites. As WIRED reported, over 54% of longer English-language posts on LinkedIn are likely AI-generated. Although LinkedIn claims to monitor posts for low-quality and repetitive content, it appears that generic writing thrives on the platform. This is an interesting observation—not necessarily a positive one, but it highlights how embedded generative AI has become online.