These days, we are surrounded by content. It is with us 24/7 – it follows us wherever we go, it sits beside us whenever we stop, it is our ever-present present. And with the rise of AI, there is a constant temptation for time-pressed content creators to slip down the banks into a river of machine-generated slop – a “slopstream” in fact.
The introduction of AI into our day-to-day lives has transformed content creation, and it comes with many benefits. It can streamline workflows, help to prompt ideation and proofread copy in seconds. But what happens when humans step out of the process too much? The human-ness disappears and we find ourselves surrounded by an efficiently-created barrage of sloppy content – polished, plentiful… and forgettable.
Chat GPT itself when asked, ‘Have we reached the point where content created by AI exceeds content created by humans?’ replied, ‘Undoubtedly yes’.
The scale of AI-generated content is staggering:
Billions of social posts, chatbot responses, product descriptions and images now fill our digital lives, the majority of it created without direct human input.
Quantity is no longer the challenge – standing out is.
This surfeit of content has led media agency phd to come up with a phenomenon they have called ‘the line of indifference’.
This is the point at which real human beings will switch from caring to not caring about your content and, by extension, your brand. In other words, it’s the line between authentic human storytelling and AI generated slop.
For brands and businesses, walking this line is critical. If your content falls on the wrong side, it doesn’t matter how often you post or how much you spend – your audience simply won’t care.
The real question becomes: How do we earn attention in a world drowning in content?
Start by creating clear criteria for your content so that you can quickly evaluate whether it will sit above the ‘line of indifference’. At Speed, we use a method called Dare, Share, Care.
Before we publish content we ask ourselves:
If your content doesn’t pass at least one of these tests, it risks drifting into the slopstream.
Humans galvanise around stories. It’s how we pass on information; how we make sense of who we are and our place in the world; how we work out what is important.
Move your content from formulaic to something that genuinely provokes a response. AI is a great support for building content, but it lacks the one thing that humans have – a good gut instinct for a great story.
To rise above indifference, move beyond templates. Create narratives that provoke emotion, challenge assumptions or inspire action.
Try your story out on the audience you are most hoping to engage…people.
A great test that will help lift your content above the line of indifference is – can you imagine someone talking about this down the pub? Obviously, it doesn’t have to be the pub; it can be the book club, the school gate, the park run… Anywhere where people naturally gather.
AI tools can simulate human responses and provide direction. But the real benchmark is instinctive human reaction. If people wouldn’t naturally talk about it, it’s unlikely to break through.
As the march of AI generated content continues, and with humans only ever having 24 hours in their day (surely technology can’t change that?), minimising indifference in what you post or publish has never been more critical.
Content created with humans at the helm will stand out so clearly, it will become premium.
This is content with intent. Content that earns attention, builds connection, and drives decisions. Not content for the sake of filling feeds, but content with an ROI. Encouraging people to buy, to engage, to advocate.
We have an experienced team of content creators and storytellers who can help you remain above the line of indifference and firmly out of the ‘slopstream’.
We’ll help you uncover stories that move you upstream – from noise to narrative; automation to authenticity. And we’ll guide you on the role of AI in content creation as a support tool, not a solution. Because in a world of infinite content, the scarcest resource isn’t production capacity. It’s genuine human connection.
Get in touch to find out how we can work with you.