The Dawn of AI-Generated "Slop" and Its Impact on Creativity

OpenAI's Sora app acts like a TikTok filled with entirely AI-made videos, where users scan their faces to insert themselves or friends into custom scenarios—for example, becoming a 1970s race car driver celebrating a win or starring in a dramatic dating show confession. People find it addictive because it lets them live out childhood fantasies effortlessly, and improvements in AI quality keep it engaging. However, it raises worries like kids bullying peers by creating misleading videos without consent, or young users exploring body alterations like Botox through simulated clips, which could distort self-image.

From a storyteller's view, content creation is like a funnel: the wide top represents all content made, and the narrow bottom is the good stuff. In the early days of film, making movies was tough—needing heavy gear, crews, and theater distribution—so output was low but often high-quality. The 1980s brought more TV, then YouTube in the 2000s slashed barriers like cost and expertise, exploding the funnel's top while democratizing expression. TikTok made it even simpler. Now, Sora removes all friction: just type a prompt from bed and get instant videos. This could flood the world with "slop"—endless low-effort AI nonsense—drowning out genuine creativity, where future platforms like YouTube or Netflix generate custom content on demand, like a Jason Bourne moon landing adventure, potentially making human-made art rare and overlooked.

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