AI slop

The director at my client sent me a paragraph that one of her team leads "wrote" about a teammate. She knows how the lead talks and writes and was disappointed that she used Copilot to write the whole thing and send it to her boss. She called it the "dumbing down of the world." 

I was reminded of a time years ago when I walked into my director's office and caught her using a book to write my performance review. I told her to just let me write it, and she could sign it, and I did, and she did. I teased her that I didn't need some book to tell me what to say.

I have often told people that I learned two things out of four years at a university: 1) how to write, and 2) how to give a presentation in front of a group. Sure, I learned other things, but these two skills have had outsized utility over the years.

I have a business partner who regularly sends me texts and emails written by AI "in her voice." I've known her for several years, and it still sounds more like AI than her. I've told her multiple times that I find this use of AI off-putting. Sure, use it for leads or people you don't know, but come on, you know me, and I know you.

One version of AI slop is incorrect information or overused, hackneyed phrasing. Another version is perfectly acceptable prose that is easily recognized as AI-generated.

I'm sure glad I chose to double down on the skill of writing.