Visuals of felines painting, public figures in compromising scenarios, and animated characters promoting products are part of the AI-generated clutter spreading across social media and video-sharing sites.

"The advent of AI has sparked worries about low-quality output - often referred to as AI slop," stated YouTube CEO Neal Mohan regarding this bothersome trend.

Such material is "inexpensive, unremarkable, and mass-produced," remarked Swiss engineer Yves, who opted not to disclose his surname, reflecting sentiments voiced on the social media platform Reddit.

Brands like Equinox gyms and Almond Breeze almond milk have capitalized on the frustrations surrounding AI slop in recent advertising efforts, presenting themselves as genuine, authentic options.

At the same time, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has encouraged people to move past the discussion of whether AI outputs are slop or sophistication, advocating for the acceptance of the technology as a means to enhance creativity and productivity.

Microsoft is one of the major tech firms heavily investing in AI.

"At its essence, the criticism of AI slop is a critique of some individual's creative expression," contended Bob Doyle, a YouTube figure focusing on AI-supported media creation.

"You may view it as worthless, but for some, it's the inception of an idea; a seed."

Machine generated

Nevertheless, the online platform Pinterest deemed it necessary late last year to allow users to filter out certain AI-generated content.

Pinterest informed AFP that it implemented the filter after receiving feedback from individuals desiring to see fewer artificial images.

TikTok rolled out a comparable filter on its widely used video platform late last year.

YouTube, alongside Meta-owned Instagram and Facebook, also provides methods to lessen the quantity of synthetic images their users encounter, though they do not offer a straightforward filter.

Major social networks previously concentrated mainly on tagging AI-generated videos to prevent viewers from mistaking them for actual footage, but a significant amount of synthetic content appeared to bypass these labels.

Some smaller tech companies, like the streaming service Coda Music, have put in place measures such as allowing users to report AI-generated works.

Once verified, accounts are designated as AI artists, ensuring listeners know what they are engaging with, according to Coda's founder and CEO Randy Fusee.

"There has been considerable engagement in identifying AI artists up to this point," Fusee told AFP.

"On the whole, (Coda users) simply prefer not to have AI music."

Coda, which claims to have around 2,500 users, provides the choice to completely exclude AI content from recommended playlists.

Cara, a social network for creatives and designers with over a million users, employs a combination of algorithms and human review to sift through AI-generated material.

"Individuals seek the human connection," said Cara founder Jingna Zhang.

"I might appreciate a child's artwork because it captivates me, as opposed to something produced by a machine devoid of intent."