AI has made it easier than ever to create content.
A business owner can generate a month of social media posts in an afternoon. A marketing team can produce articles, emails and product descriptions in seconds. Job seekers can create polished CVs, and customers can use AI to write detailed reviews or complaints.
This can save an enormous amount of time. But it is also creating a new problem: the internet is filling up with content that looks professional but says very little.
This is often called “AI slop” — large volumes of generic, repetitive or low-quality content produced with little human thought, experience or oversight.
In a recent episode of the Using AI at Work podcast, host Chris Daigle spoke to Max Spero, co-founder and CEO of AI detection company Pangram Labs. They discussed how AI-generated content is affecting social media, recruitment, education, online search and business communication. One of the most important points was that trust is no longer just a marketing concern. It is becoming a strategic business issue.
What Makes Content Feel Like “AI Slop”?
AI-generated content is not automatically bad.
AI can help you organise your thoughts, improve the structure of an article, check your grammar, summarise research or turn rough notes into something clearer.
The problem starts when businesses allow AI to replace the thinking behind the content.
You have probably already seen some of the signs:
- Articles that repeat the same point in different words.
- Social posts filled with vague motivational statements.
- Comments that sound friendly but do not respond to what was actually said.
- Emails that are polished but strangely impersonal.
- Product descriptions that could apply to almost any product.
- Blog posts that contain no original examples, opinions or experience.
The writing may be technically correct, but it does not feel as though anyone is truly behind it.
This matters because people do not only read content for information. They read it to decide whether they trust the person or business publishing it.
A local accountant who explains a real mistake businesses make during tax season has more authority than an anonymous article listing ten generic tax tips.
A retailer sharing what customers are genuinely asking in-store is more useful than another automatically generated post about “delivering exceptional customer experiences”.
A business owner explaining what worked, what failed and what they learnt creates something AI cannot produce without that person’s input: lived experience.
Can AI Detection Tools Identify AI-Written Content?
AI detection tools analyse writing patterns and estimate whether text was likely produced by an AI model.
Some of the tools currently available include Pangram, GPTZero, Copyleaks, Originality.ai and Turnitin’s AI writing detection system.
These tools can be useful when businesses need to review large volumes of content, such as:
- Articles submitted by freelance writers.
- Job applications and cover letters.
- Reviews, comments or survey responses.
- Guest posts and user-generated content.
- Training assignments.
- Marketing content produced by external suppliers.
However, an AI detection score should never be treated as absolute proof.
Even Turnitin states that its AI writing model may incorrectly identify human-written, AI-generated or AI-paraphrased text. Its guidance says the result should not be used as the only basis for taking action against someone. Human judgement and additional evidence are still required.
Independent research has also found that detector performance can change depending on the writing style, length of the text, AI model used and whether the content has been edited. Some tools perform well in controlled tests but struggle when they encounter different types of real-world writing.
Detection tools are therefore best used as a signal, not a verdict.
A business could use a detector to flag content for closer review, but the next step should be to ask better questions:
- Does the writer understand the subject?
- Can they explain where the information came from?
- Does the content include real experience or evidence?
- Is it accurate and useful?
- Does it sound consistent with the person or business publishing it?
- Can the writer explain how AI was used?
The real goal is not to catch people using AI. It is to protect quality, honesty and accountability.
How Businesses Can Use AI Without Losing Their Voice
Businesses do not need to choose between AI and authenticity.
The better approach is to let AI support the process while keeping people responsible for the final result.
Start with human input.
Before opening an AI tool, write down what you actually think. Include the customer question you are trying to answer, what you have observed in your business and any real examples you want to share.
Then use AI to help shape the material.
For example, you could give AI your voice notes and ask it to organise them into an article. You could ask it to simplify a technical explanation or suggest a clearer heading. You could use it to identify missing questions or improve the flow of an email.
Once AI has helped, put the human element back in.
Add:
- A real example from your work.
- A lesson you learnt.
- A clear opinion.
- Local context.
- Specific details.
- Something you would naturally say to a customer.
- A limitation or uncertainty that should be acknowledged.
You should also create a simple internal AI policy.
Your policy does not have to be a complicated legal document. It can explain:
- Which tasks employees may use AI for.
- Which information must never be entered into public AI tools.
- When AI use should be disclosed.
- Who is responsible for checking facts.
- Which content needs human approval.
- How detection results should be handled.
- What level of quality the business expects.
The podcast discussion with Max Spero highlights the value of combining detection, transparency, education and sensible internal policies rather than expecting one technical solution to protect online trust.
Authenticity Is Becoming Easier to Notice
As more businesses publish large amounts of automated content, genuinely useful human communication becomes easier to recognise.
The competitive advantage will not belong to the business producing the most content.
It will belong to the business people trust.
That means sharing real knowledge instead of repeating popular ideas. It means checking AI-generated work instead of publishing it immediately. It means allowing employees and leaders to sound like people rather than perfectly polished corporate machines.
AI can help you communicate more consistently and efficiently, but it should not remove your judgement, personality or experience from the work.
The strongest content in the age of AI will not necessarily be completely human-written or completely AI-generated.
It will be human-led, AI-assisted and carefully reviewed.
That is how businesses can benefit from automation without becoming part of the slop.
Keep exploring, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to experiment with these powerful tools. The future of your business is in your hands, and AI is here to help you unlock its full potential.
This blog was created with the assistance of AI, but the content and focus were generated by me.