Age of AI Slop: Navigating Quality Amid Increases in Synthetic Media

The adage all that glitters is not gold feels apt for the current state of AI-generated content.

Yes, the technology is improving. Its best efforts can be competent, even exceptional at times, but much of what floods the internet falls into a different category: slop.

AI slop has become a fixture of the digital landscape, propelled by algorithms that prize clicks over credibility and by opportunists eager to monetize low-quality output at scale. This influx is reshaping audience habits, distorting performance signals, and complicating efforts to maintain brand safety and media quality. For marketing leaders, navigating this environment demands more than defensive measures. It calls for a strategy nimble enough to steer through an evolving ecosystem, enforce suitability standards, and protect outcomes.

AI has undeniably streamlined processes and delivered efficiencies. Yet its misuse has introduced new hazards. According to recent surveys, 57 percent of advertisers now regard AI-generated content as a pressing challenge for digital advertising, while 54 percent believe it has been determinantal to overall media quality.

With generative tools freely available, bad actors can churn out low-value material with minimal oversight. One recent case uncovered more than 200 AI-driven sites posing as sports news outlets, blending fabricated copy with stolen reporting—an imitation of legitimacy that corrodes trust in the media.

In response, forward-thinking advertisers are layering defenses: contextual analysis tools, curated placement strategies, and human review to spot and sidestep low-quality AI content. Many are gravitating toward reputable, premium inventory—often with legacy publishers—while even further tightening brand safety guardrails.

Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of AI, and pairing its capabilities with human judgment, will be essential. Investment in improved processes and opting for more premium placements will leave marketing leaders far better equipped as AI-generated content continues to spread.