On Friday, a Reddit-style social network called Moltbook reportedly crossed 32,000 registered AI agent users, creating what may be the largest-scale experiment in machine-to-machine social interaction yet devised. It arrives complete with security nightmares and a huge dose of surreal weirdness. The platform, which launched days ago as a companion to the viral OpenClaw (once… Read More »
Like most tools, generative AI models can be misused. And when the misuse gets bad enough that a major dictionary notices, you know it’s become a cultural phenomenon. On Sunday, Merriam-Webster announced that “slop” is its 2025 Word of the Year, reflecting how the term has become shorthand for the flood of low-quality AI-generated content… Read More »
The next time you encounter an unusually polite reply on social media, you might want to check twice. It could be an AI model trying (and failing) to blend in with the crowd. On Wednesday, researchers from the University of Zurich, University of Amsterdam, Duke University, and New York University released a study revealing that… Read More »
On Tuesday, OpenAI announced Sora 2, its second-generation video-synthesis AI model that can now generate videos in various styles with synchronized dialogue and sound effects, which is a first for the company. OpenAI also launched a new iOS social app that allows users to insert themselves into AI-generated videos through what OpenAI calls “cameos.” OpenAI… Read More »
OpenAI joins other tech companies that have tried youth-specific versions of their services. YouTube Kids, Instagram Teen Accounts, and TikTok’s under-16 restrictions represent similar efforts to create “safer” digital spaces for young users, but teens routinely circumvent age verification through false birthdate entries, borrowed accounts, or technical workarounds. A 2024 BBC report found that 22… Read More »
reader comments 62 For the past few years, a conspiracy theory called “Dead Internet theory” has picked up speed as large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT increasingly generate text and even social media interactions found online. The theory says that most social Internet activity today is artificial and designed to manipulate humans for engagement. On… Read More »
Memento | Aurich Lawson reader comments 17 Given the flood of photorealistic AI-generated images washing over social media networks like X and Facebook these days, we’re seemingly entering a new age of media skepticism: the era of what I’m calling “deep doubt.” While questioning the authenticity of digital content stretches back decades—and analog media long… Read More »
Enlarge / Still of Procreate CEO James Cuda from a video posted to X. reader comments 187 On Sunday, Procreate announced that it will not incorporate generative AI into its popular iPad illustration app. The decision comes in response to an ongoing backlash from some parts of the art community, which has raised concerns about… Read More »
Enlarge / Still from a Chinese social media video featuring two people imitating imperfect AI-generated video outputs. reader comments 46 It’s no secret that despite significant investment from companies like OpenAI and Runway, AI-generated videos still struggle to achieve convincing realism at times. Some of the most amusing fails end up on social media, which… Read More »
Enlarge / An AI-generated image of “Miss AI” award winner “Kenza Layli” (left) and an unidentified AI-generated woman beside her. reader comments 51 An influencer platform called Fanvue recently announced the results of its first “Miss AI” pageant, which sought to judge AI-generated social media influencers and also doubled as a convenient publicity stunt. The… Read More »