Social Media Platforms Combat AI-Generated Content
Snapchat, YouTube, and LinkedIn are implementing new tools and policies to address the growing issue of 'AI slop'.
Several major social media and content platforms are taking steps to combat the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence-generated content, often referred to as 'AI slop.' Snapchat, YouTube, and LinkedIn have all introduced new measures aimed at distinguishing between authentic user-generated content and AI-produced material.
Chris Best, co-founder and CEO of Substack, recently highlighted the growing difficulty in discerning real content online, citing research that suggests up to 40% of writing on social media may now be AI-generated. He warned that platforms rewarding inauthentic content risk a decline in quality.
LinkedIn has implemented a feature allowing users to report posts or comments they suspect are AI-generated. Hari Srinivasan, LinkedIn's chief product officer, stated that tackling 'AI slop' is a significant priority, revealing that the platform has blocked billions of attempts to post AI-generated comments. Hundreds of thousands of automated comment attempts are reportedly caught daily.
While not entirely prohibiting AI tools, LinkedIn clarified that users who employ AI to refine their posts will not be penalized. The platform is reverting from an AI-powered post enhancement prompt to a simpler proofreading tool.
YouTube, owned by Google, has also updated its content monetization policies. Last year, research indicated the existence of numerous AI-generated YouTube channels with millions of subscribers and substantial revenue. To curb the spread of what YouTube terms "inauthentic content," the platform has categorized non-monetizable videos into three types: generic, repetitive, or template-based. These categories are easily produced using generative AI tools.
Matt Halprin, YouTube's head of trust and safety, explained that while AI can be a beneficial tool for creators, it is increasingly being used to produce low-quality and fake videos. He noted that the same technology enabling creative content can also be used for "content farming," which YouTube aims to discourage.