The amount of AI-generated content is beginning to overwhelm the internet. Or maybe a better term is pollute. Pollute its searches, its pages, its feeds, everywhere you look. I’ve been predicting that generative AI would have pernicious effects on our culture since 2019, but now everyone can feel it. Back then I called it the coming “semantic apocalypse.” Well, the semantic apocalypse is here, and you’re being affected by it, even if you don’t know it. A minor personal example: last year I published a nonfiction book, The World Behind the World, and now on Amazon I find this.
What, exactly, are these “workbooks” for my book? AI pollution. Synthetic trash heaps floating in the online ocean. The authors aren’t real people, some asshole just fed the manuscript into an AI and didn’t check when it spit out nonsensical summaries. But it doesn’t matter, does it? A poor sod will click on the $9.99 purchase one day, and that’s all that’s needed for this scam to be profitable […]
Very insightful article. It supports Noam Chomsky’s assertion that Chat GPT and AI are just sophisticated plagiarism programs. For any of those interested, I highly recommend Chomsky’s thoughtful comments in an extended “Atlantic magazine” interview, and the interview on Common Dreams. Both will repay your time invested. Although the article takes a strictly pessimistic tone, there are opportunities not to be missed. First, corporate America has consistently devalued the work of editors, and writers. There is a market for high quality work, and those who can capitalize on the thirst for real information will do well. There are writers who now support themselves via private subscription. Mainstream media will discourage your use of this model as it bypasses the drivil they produce and label news. Second, there is an untapped market for those analysts to actually get it right. By that I mean those who are able to provide a coherent analysis of current events, make predictions, and be correct regarding them. This venue is one such avenue; however, there are many others who deserve support. Again Mainstream media will not point you in this direction. Their business is in recycling the same old, same old, as well as distraction of your attention with empty but titillating content. You will need to connect the dots yourself. Once you find these trusted sources hold fast to them but never stop looking for others. It is only our collective valuing and pursuing of quality and truth will get us through.