Social media platforms, once envisioned as tools for connection, are increasingly becoming dominated by artificial content, leaving users feeling isolated and detached from reality. The rapid proliferation of AI-generated videos, images, and deepfakes is fundamentally changing the online experience, raising concerns about trust, authenticity, and the future of human interaction.
The Rise of “AI Slop”
The emergence of generative AI tools like OpenAI’s Sora, Google’s Veo, and Midjourney has made it trivially easy to create convincingly realistic but entirely fabricated content. This phenomenon, dubbed “AI slop,” refers to the overwhelming influx of low-quality, often nonsensical, digitally generated material flooding social feeds. From animals exhibiting human behaviors to impossible pranks, these videos are designed to shock, entertain, or mislead.
Deepfakes further exacerbate the problem, allowing for the creation of realistic but false portrayals of public figures. This isn’t merely about entertainment; it’s about eroding trust in visual media and making it increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction.
This matters because the very foundation of social media—shared experience—is collapsing under the weight of artificiality. The endless stream of synthetic content is exhausting, and it’s becoming harder for users to discern what is real.
The Business of Artificiality
Tech companies are incentivized to push AI capabilities, even at the expense of user experience. As Alexios Mantzarlis, director of Cornell Tech’s Security, Trust and Safety Initiative, points out, these platforms are prioritizing stock price growth over genuine connection.
The focus on AI-driven engagement is particularly evident on platforms like TikTok, where algorithms prioritize addictive content over meaningful interactions. While users may enjoy exposure to new topics, the result is often a feeling of disconnection from real-world relationships.
This shift is not accidental. Tech companies are leveraging AI to maximize user attention, even if it means sacrificing authenticity.
The Erosion of Authenticity
Before AI, social media already struggled with unrealistic standards and curated personas. Now, the problem is compounded by the ability to generate entirely artificial realities. Users are not only comparing themselves to unattainable ideals but also questioning the validity of everything they see online.
“Before, we had the problem of unrealistic body expectations,” Mantzarlis said. “And now we’re facing the world of unreal body expectations.”
Distrust in AI-generated content is already high. A Raptive study found that nearly half of respondents instinctively distrusted content they suspected was AI-generated, and 60% reported a weaker emotional connection.
The Path Forward: Regulation and User Control
Social media companies are beginning to implement measures such as labeling AI-generated content and banning harmful deepfakes. TikTok, for example, is testing controls that allow users to limit their exposure to AI-generated material.
However, in the absence of robust government regulation—which is currently stalled due to political gridlock and industry lobbying—the burden falls on platforms to enforce their own policies.
The critical question is whether these efforts will be enough. The rapid pace of AI development suggests that regulation will struggle to keep up.
Ultimately, the future of social media depends on the ability to restore trust and authenticity. If platforms fail to address the erosion of reality, they risk becoming irrelevant as users retreat from a world where nothing can be taken at face value.
