Higher-order effects of LLM slop
The author reflects on how exposure to AI-generated 'LLM slop' has altered their sensitivity to certain writing styles, leading them to avoid punchy, AI-like prose even when written by humans. They compare this shift to how Impressionist art evolved after the advent of photography, noting a growing preference for distinctly human writing such as Wordsworth's poetry. The author believes this aversion will become more common as AI spreads, prompting more people to develop writing styles that resist AI homogenization.
- ▪The author avoids punchy, AI-like prose even when written by humans.
- ▪They compare the shift in aesthetic preference to Impressionism after the rise of photography.
- ▪The author reads Wordsworth's Prelude frequently as a 'palate-cleanser' from AI-influenced writing.
- ▪Many writers may begin adopting more distinct, non-AI writing styles in response to AI saturation.
- ▪The author believes their sensitivity to LLM slop will become more widespread over time.
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Higher-order effects of LLM slop 30 Apr, 2026 I don't much enjoy LLM prose, at least when it's presented as human-generated. I've written about that, and since that post I've started to notice myself adjusting in indirect ways. Even when I don't suspect that something is AI-generated, there's a kind of punchy prose that I just don't want to be reading as much, and I'm doing more to avoid it. This means even less social media, and browsing different parts of newspapers and other news sources. There's a sad side to this: there are any number of wonderful human writers I just don't enjoy quite as much. I've been a Jenny Holzer fan for well over 20 years now, but it's been a long time since I thought she worked in an under-explored niche.
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