Surf the web like it’s 2022 with Slop Evader

Key Takeaways:

• “AI slop” refers to the surge of mass-produced, low-quality AI-generated content.
• The Slop Trough invites users to experience the absurdity of consuming endless digital “slop.”
• Slop Evader blocks any online content published after November 30, 2022.
• Pew Research Center data shows surging concerns among U.S. adults about AI since 2021.
• Creators believe preserving human-made projects is essential to keeping the internet authentically creative.

The Rise of AI Slop

“AI slop” emerged as a term around 2023, capturing the deluge of mass-produced content generated by publicly available tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E. One of the earliest—and most bizarre—examples was a viral video purportedly showing Will Smith eating spaghetti, created by the ModelScope text-to-video AI model. Since then, everything from misleading music recommendations to Sora 2 deepfakes has contributed to growing skepticism about online media authenticity.

Slop Trough: A Satirical Call-Out

Copywriters Steve Nasopoulos and Peter Henningsen created a project called the Slop Trough, commenting on how the internet “expects” users to consume mindless content. The website greets visitors with the cheeky question, “Are you a little piggy who needs your slop?” If the answer is yes, the viewer is prompted to switch on their webcam and get onto all fours before the trough dispenses an endless stream of digital “slop.”

“When we see humans asked to mindlessly devour AI-generated content, it feels dehumanizing,” the creators told Fast Company. The Slop Trough aims to shine a playful but pointed light on that reality.

Evading the Slop: A Timely Browser Tool

Another intriguing concept comes from artist and researcher Tega Brain, whose browser extension, Slop Evader, filters search results to those published before November 30, 2022—the date ChatGPT became widely available. By limiting the information to pre-AI saturation days, the tool aims to provide an online experience untainted by newer waves of algorithmic content.

404 Media reported on this filter’s ability to restore a feeling of the “old internet,” before AI began generating an ever-larger share of what people see online.

Growing Public Alarm

Attitudes toward AI are shifting fast. The Pew Research Center notes that concerns about artificial intelligence among U.S. adults have risen exponentially since 2021. Many now worry that once-innocent videos (think viral pet clips or comedic scenes) may be deepfakes, potentially misleading or manipulative. As the creators of Slop Trough suggest, “The internet was once a magical place, because it was full of weirdos making bizarre websites and stupid art projects.”

Why Authenticity Matters

Even though AI systems continually improve, many developers, artists, and everyday internet users argue that preserving genuine human creativity must remain a priority. “We think humans making stuff and putting it on the internet is what the internet was designed for,” say Nasopoulos and Henningsen. In a crowded digital landscape where it can be hard to sort human from machine, these initiatives—Slop Trough and Slop Evader—remind us that humor, critique, and originality all have a role in tipping the balance back in favor of authentic content.