{"id":2968,"date":"2026-02-02T15:09:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T15:09:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/?p=2968"},"modified":"2026-02-02T15:12:03","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T15:12:03","slug":"episode-94-steady-diet-of-nothing-ai-published-slop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/lifelong-learning\/episode-94-steady-diet-of-nothing-ai-published-slop\/","title":{"rendered":"Episode 94: Steady Diet of Nothing: AI-Published Slop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Matt&#8217;s Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thanks for joining us! You are, no doubt, a sophisticated, thoughtful, and good-looking contemporary Internet user! And as such, you&#8217;ve likely noticed an AI spike in your online diet! Much like fillers and colors and sugars of various kinds fill our physical bodies with empty and unwholesome caloric content, so our current use of web technologies has become bloated with content created by generative AI apps and processes! Not to be too precious about it, but all of this sloppy, greasy AI content makes its way into our brains and\/or minds! And so we&#8217;re taking a few moments with this episode to speak to the slop and at least call it out for what it is! The first step in fixing a problem is recognizing you have a problem, to quote many a recovery program!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Ed non-Tech (EnT) Podcast 94: Steady Diet of Nothing: AI-Published Slop\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VRI1d0edhYQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The EnT: bringing you online self-awareness since 2022! #ednontech<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"http:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnT-94-audio.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If AI helped create this audio, we&#8217;re likely morally culpable but probably not directly responsible! #ednontech<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/tumblr_e3bc32cee40a96ad79fb7415015317a0_7c66a6a3_500.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2974\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-pdfemb-pdf-embedder-viewer\"><a href=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_20260201_0001.pdf\" class=\"pdfemb-viewer\" style=\"\" data-width=\"max\" data-height=\"max\" data-toolbar=\"bottom\" data-toolbar-fixed=\"off\">IMG_20260201_0001<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"480\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/giphy-3.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2992\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"310\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-23-1024x310.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3003\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-23-1024x310.png 1024w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-23-300x91.png 300w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-23-768x232.png 768w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-23-850x257.png 850w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-23.png 1184w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>When searching for Microslop, the search engine kept primarily giving me links to MicroSoft.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Doug&#8217;s Notes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>AI-published slop<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"610\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-14.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2993\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-14.png 500w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-14-246x300.png 246w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-14-300x366.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI tools, while offering unparalleled efficiencies in paper drafting and peer review, also introduce notable ethical concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carobene, A., Padoan, A., Cabitza, F., Banfi, G., &amp; Plebani, M. (2024). Rising adoption of artificial intelligence in scientific publishing: evaluating the role, risks, and ethical implications in paper drafting and review process. <em>Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM), 62<\/em>(5), 835-843.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"556\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-15.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2994\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-15.png 556w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-15-300x159.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">AI \u201cslop\u201d is an increasingly popular term used to describe low-quality AI generated text, but there is currently no agreed upon definition of this term nor a means to measure its occurrence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9-1024x473.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2976\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9-1024x473.png 1024w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9-300x139.png 300w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9-768x355.png 768w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9-850x393.png 850w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9.png 1035w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026 market conditions inherent to a \u201cmarket for lemons\u201d have been introduced into the online marketplace for quality text-based works because of the sudden influx of works generated by large language models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bleak nature of these findings may lend credence to Luddite leanings and perhaps provoke a readoption of the typewriter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tullis, J. (2025). <em>Sifting Through the Slop: How Generative AI Created a Market for Lemons for Text-Based Works<\/em>. Available at SSRN 5266660.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"173\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-16.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2995\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-16.png 576w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-16-300x90.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The publishers\u2019 cocktail of probability, prediction, and profit is predicated on the same process: extract our scholarship and behavior, then sell it back to us in congealed form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pooley, J. (2024).<em> Large language publishing: The scholarly publishing oligopoly\u2019s bet on AI. KULA, 7<\/em>(1), 1-11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"557\" height=\"220\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-17.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2996\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-17.png 557w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-17-300x118.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The surge of scholarly output, enabled by advanced digital infrastructures, open-access models, and mega-journals has fueled not only greater access and collaboration, but also mounting information overload, declining editorial standards, and the evolution of a research workforce that spends more and more time chasing metrics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Enslopification \u2026 involves the creation of large amounts of low-effort, poor-quality content using AI (ie.-\u201cslop\u201d), driven by incentives that reward quantity over quality and amplified by algorithmic systems that promote popular patterns regardless of their actual value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lang, C., Moffett, C., &amp; Vasudevan, L. (2025, November). <em>The Architecture of Academic Overproduction: Toward Post-AI Scholarship. In Interdisciplinary Science and Research Conference on Digital Humanism (pp. 483-498)<\/em>. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"719\" height=\"495\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-18.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2997\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-18.png 719w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-18-300x207.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 719px) 100vw, 719px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"878\" height=\"982\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-21.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-21.png 878w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-21-268x300.png 268w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-21-768x859.png 768w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-21-300x336.png 300w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-21-850x951.png 850w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 878px) 100vw, 878px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"814\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3001\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9.jpeg 814w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9-254x300.jpeg 254w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9-768x906.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-9-300x354.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 814px) 100vw, 814px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Word of the Podcast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-purple-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Slop<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Question of the Podcast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-purple-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">How can AI slop be reduced in the creation of knowledge?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Phrase of the Podcast<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-purple-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Critical discernment in terms of information literacy<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&amp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-purple-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">The primacy of human involvement in the endeavour<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&amp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-vivid-purple-background-color has-background wp-block-paragraph\">Ever seen a Hallmark Christmas movie?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"549\" height=\"552\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-22.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3002\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.9945793942981889;width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-22.png 549w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-22-298x300.png 298w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-22-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-22-300x302.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 549px) 100vw, 549px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Fugazi - Exit Only\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lmDUJhbxIjI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Will we leave the last place burning?<br>Or do we just get leaving?<br>Red-light,<br>Red-light my mind moves to refuse that filter,<br>Are you still surprised? #ednontech<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/67055117c82bc5c7b6d7aaf9145b0837.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3006\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_66\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-2968-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnT-94-audio.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnT-94-audio.mp3\">http:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnT-94-audio.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"http:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnT-94-audio.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/?powerpress_pinw=2968-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/EnT-94-audio.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"EnT-94-audio.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matt&#8217;s Notes Thanks for joining us! You are, no doubt, a sophisticated, thoughtful, and good-looking contemporary Internet user! And as such, you&#8217;ve likely noticed an AI spike in your online diet! Much like fillers and colors and sugars of various kinds fill our physical bodies with empty and unwholesome caloric content, so our current use&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,151,99,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifelong-learning","category-reducing","category-society","category-technology-use"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2968"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3016,"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2968\/revisions\/3016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analogue-trope.ca\/podcast\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}