Scroll through almost any feed today and you’ll be faced with AI slop; the buzzword for a flood of synthetic, automated, and often inaccurate content that’s generated at scale and lacks real-world substance.
The faster and more generative AI becomes, the wider the floodgates open. The more content there is, the harder it becomes to find anything worth trusting. According to a study by Graphite, within just 12 months of ChatGPT’s launch, AI-generated articles accounted for nearly half (39%) of articles published online. By November 2024, it had overtaken human content. Pretty staggering stats.
As companies explore generating content written by LLMs to grow traffic across their marketing channels – and simultaneously cut staffing costs – an army of robotic authors, copywriters and content creators has appeared almost overnight. Forcing their way into our online world it seems the AI troops are attempting a full-blown takeover of human talent.
However, humans have a secret weapon in their armoury that the LLMs can’t replicate: authenticity.
The influence of earned media in an AI world
The irony is, when it comes to AI visibility, the AI tools that are churning out the content also view it as slop. Often, automated content won’t appear in AI search results.
So, if the future of brand visibility lies in AI recommendations, what’s the solution?
In this environment, earned media becomes a filter for credibility. It’s the antidote to AI slop. When a respected journalist, trade publication or industry figurehead chooses to write about your brand or organisation, it sends a signal that someone independent thought it was worth paying attention to.
Interestingly, since the peak in 2024, the volume of AI-generated content has stabilised and is no longer growing at such an explosive rate. Why? It’s suggested that businesses have wised up to the fact that algorithms prefer earned media too; search engines and social platforms reward credible mentions from authoritative, human-written sources.
So, what does this mean for the future of brands and AI?
The takeaway is clear. Brands don’t need to stop using LLMs but instead learn how and when to use them for maximum impact. AI is great for tasks that require speed, but to connect meaningfully with audiences and optimise AI visibility brands need to deliver rich, human and culturally grounded content that builds trust.
Ultimately, the brands that win the battle of survival and stand the test of time will not be the ones that publish the most, but those that say something of value, speak with integrity and have someone else vouch for it.
As Shakespeare once said, “No legacy is so rich as honesty.”
If you need help building authority through earned media, click here to get in touch.