In September, I called for everyone to “push back against the AI internet.” My prescription was that users of content websites should ask for tools to block AI, and that content companies should prioritize AI identification and offer blocking options.
This approach to the coming wave of AI-made content should suit everyone. It gives complete access to AI content foranyone who wants it and helps people avoid a world where human-made content is uncommon and hard to find.
If this sounds like technopanic or an overblown claim, think about the fact that as of October, more than 52% of onlinearticles are made by AI, according to one estimate. By next year, the share of AI-made online content could pass 90%.
Some experts even predict that by 2030, up to 99.99% of online content could be AI-generated. Seeing the AI-generated writing on the wall, people are choosing sides.
I’ve talked on Reddit in AI forums where many are against content sites giving users a choice. To me, opposing the option to choose “no AI” is an unreasonable position. Believing that words, pictures, music, and other traditional modalities of human expression exist for one person to connect and share with another person is reasonable. Worrying that too much AI content might push creatives away, leaving us with a “culture” of content consumers and no content creators, is valid.
Since I wrote that September piece, many content companies have chosen sides in the ongoing AI content debate. (Yes,there are sides to pick.)
On one side are the technopanicking, doomerist Luddites who are fed up with AI. On the other are the clanking, slopping groksuckers who are excited about the new possibilities with AI content.
Here are the companies that are embracing, rejecting or offering choice in AI (to use a Goldilocks framing, too hot, too cold, and just right).
Too hot
Meta social networks. Meta’s AI rules and tools on Facebook and Instagram allow easy AI content creation through features like text, image, and video for posts, comments, Stories, and ads. The company requires explicit content labels for AI-generated media. The new “Vibes,” a short-form AI video feed, is heavily promoted on Meta platforms, and even in the Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses app for some reason. It lets users generate, remix, and share AI-made videos. Creators and brands are encouraged to use AI-driven tools and APIs. As a result, Meta social networks are awash in AI-generated content, and the company offers no toggle to turn it off.
YouTube. The popular video site allows AI content; it now makes up 25% to 50% of new uploads, according to unverified estimates. While the platform’s policies require disclosure and demonetize low-quality slop channels, there’sno toggle to turn off AI.
Substack. The newsletter company does not ban or require disclosure of AI-generated content, nor does it ban AI-generated content from monetization.
Others. Reddit, TikTok, Medium, LinkedIn, X, and Snapchat also offer no universal toggle to turn off AI content.
Too cold
diVine. While Meta’s Vibes is 100% AI, diVine has a 100% ban on AI content. The site was recently launched by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and is positioned as a re-launch of Twitter’s old Vine video service.
Medium. The writer’s platform bans all AI content for paywalled content.
Publications. A large number of online publications have outright bans on AI-generated content, including Wired, BBC, Dotdash Meredith, Polygon, and others.
Just right
Spotify. The platform now requires clear labels on AI-created songs, blocks vocal impersonation and deepfakes, and filters spam tracks to protect artists. More than 75 million low-quality uploads have been removed, while new tools show listeners which songs use AI. While the company doesn’t offer a universal toggle, it makes it easy for users to avoid AI.
Pinterest. Pinterest added new controls this year to turn off AI-generated pins.
TikTok. The Chinese-owned social video site launched a “slider” tool in its “Manage Topics” control panel. This lets users reduce AI-generated content in their For You feed, but doesn’t completely block it.
DuckDuckGo and Kagi. These privacy-focused search engines (DuckDuckGo may be better known) have AI toggles for user control of AI content, including toggles to turn off AI-generated images.
There’s no question that, because of AI, we’re living in truly interesting times. And while excitement over AI is perfectly valid, it’s clear that people differ on whether they personally want to see or hear AI content.
That’s why the only reasonable demand by users, and the only reasonable policy for content sites, is to allow AI content, but give all users a universal toggle that enables them to opt-out temporarily or permanently.
