The world has been buzzing about generative AI, but let’s be honest, our feeds are overflowing with AI slop. If the internet wasn’t already fast food, it has definitely gone full drive-thru with quantity taking over quality.
After letting this flood of synthetic content rush in like a swarm of overeager locusts, tech companies are finally admitting things might be getting out of hand. The AInmates are running the asylum. TikTok seems to agree, and they just announced a new feature that gives users a bit more control.
The tool is a simple slider under “Manage topics,” which is the menu where you can already choose how much content you see from categories like Dance, Current Affairs, Food & Drinks, or Health & Fitness. Now they have added a new topic called “AI-generated content” or AIGC. Slide left to see less of it. Slide right to see more. It is refreshingly straightforward, and more platforms should follow suit.
The genie of generative AI is not going back into the bottle, but we can still set up a few guardrails. I am not anti-AI, but the rapid spread of fake and doctored videos, sloppy images, and mass-produced machine content is not making the internet better. Big tech companies letting it run wild is not helping either.
Beyond misinformation, we are also getting buried under machine-made “art” that flattens real human creativity. The novelty will fade, but the mess it leaves behind will stick around.
So it is nice to see TikTok give us at least one way to dial down the slop.
If your feed is starting to look like a robot’s junk drawer, open TikTok, go to “Manage topics,” and slide “AI-generated content” all the way to the left. Your brain will appreciate the break.
