The War for Your Eyes

Lately, it feels like every time we open our social feeds, whether it’s Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook, we’re swimming in a sea of AI-generated videos. Some of them are bizarre, meaningless, or just plain bad. There’s even a term for it now: AI slop, low-quality, spammy content made by artificial intelligence.

But let’s be fair, not all AI-generated videos are garbage. Some are genuinely funny, creative, and surprisingly entertaining. So that raises the real question: Is AI-generated art automatically trash, or is there something deeper happening here?

The Inevitable Rise of AI in Content Creation

We used to imagine AI as something that would help us with boring, repetitive work, cleaning, scheduling, data entry. But instead, it’s taking over the creative space. From image and sound generation to full-blown video production, AI has found its way into the most human domain of all: storytelling and expression.

And it’s working.

In recent months, we’ve seen AI-generated content reach massive audiences. Some videos get millions of views, often outperforming human-made ones. So, it’s natural to wonder: Is the future of entertainment going to be entirely AI-generated?

We’ve Been Watching AI-Curated Content for Years

The truth is, AI has been shaping what we watch for over a decade, we just didn’t notice.

Think about it: for the last 15 years on YouTube, the majority of what we’ve consumed has been driven by recommendation algorithms. The same goes for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV, and every major content platform. What shows up on your homepage isn’t random, it’s the product of machine learning models trained on your behavior and preferences.

Even the content that’s still created by humans is heavily influenced by what these algorithms say will perform well. Creators, from solo YouTubers to big studios, study analytics and adjust accordingly. The AI doesn’t just suggest what we watch; it indirectly dictates what gets made.

If you’ve seen the fourth season of Boris, you’ll remember the “algorithm” as an antagonist, an accurate depiction of what’s been happening in the entertainment industry for years.

A screenshot of the fourth season of Boris, the algorithm as an antagonist

TikTok Changed Everything

The real revolution in how we consume content didn’t come from video length or format. Vine had already nailed the concept of short vertical videos years ago. What TikTok brought to the table was its algorithm, one of the most advanced and addictive systems ever built for capturing human attention.

Scrolling through TikTok is a near-perfectly tuned experience. In 90% of cases, you’ll enjoy what you see. That’s no accident. The algorithm has learned exactly what keeps you hooked, and it’s been doing so long before generative AI became mainstream.

TikTok showed the world how AI can control the flow of entertainment. Now, we’re witnessing the next step: AI not only curating content, but creating it.

Enter the Era of AI Video Generation

Fast-forward to today. We’re seeing generative video models make huge leaps in quality, from the infamous Will Smith eating spaghetti clip in 2022 to the jaw-dropping realism of Sora 2, the latest model from OpenAI.

Sora 2 has taken the internet by storm. If you’ve spent even an hour online recently, you’ve likely seen at least one video made with it. They have become absolutely viral.

What’s even more interesting is how OpenAI released it: a standalone app, separed from the ChatGPT one, designed like TikTok: feed, scroll, and all.

It’s a genius move. Everyone already understands TikTok’s interface, and this format clearly signals the company’s ambition: to build a social platform where all videos are generated by AI.

And they’re not alone. Elon Musk has teased the idea of reviving Vine as an “AI-native” video platform. Meta (Facebook) is experimenting with something similar. The AI social video race has officially begun.

AI Slop vs. AI Craft

But here’s where things get nuanced. Not every AI video is equal.

Yes, a lot of AI-generated content online is nonsense, random, incoherent, and disposable. That’s AI slop. But there’s another category: AI-assisted creativity, videos crafted by humans who know how to guide the machine. These are structured, purposeful, and often really fucking funny.

Think of those funny AI-generated clips like “Big Foot and Yeti Vlogs”. They work not because they’re AI-made, but because a human wrote them cleverly. The AI just adds that surreal, charming touch that makes them stand out.

A screenshot of the AI-generated clip 'Big Foot Vlogs'

This shows that human creativity still matters. The tool is powerful, but the direction still defines the result. For now...

What Comes Next?

In the short term, success in AI-generated video will depend heavily on the creators behind it, the people who can write great prompts, understand audience psychology, and shape the narrative.

But in the long run? Nah, we're cooked chat.

I see a future were also this area can be absorbed by the AI. Essentially an AI that can absorbe user taste and human “creativity” when making the content.

Think about what happens when these systems combine:

  • AI models that can generate any kind of video on demand,
  • Plus access to massive datasets from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube,
  • Plus algorithms that know exactly what keeps you watching.

At that point, every time you scroll, you might be served a personalized AI-generated video made just for you, perfectly tuned to your tastes, mood, and attention span.

That’s both fascinating and terrifying.

Some people, especially younger generations, might get trapped in endless, tailor-made entertainment loops. It could be the ultimate attention economy nightmare. But others might rebel, seeking curated, human, meaningful content as a reaction to the noise.

Either way, we’re heading into a new era where the line between human and machine creativity will blur beyond recognition.

Final Thoughts

We’re watching history unfold in real time. AI isn’t just changing how we create, it’s redefining what creation even means.

Maybe the real question isn’t whether AI-generated videos are “junk” or “art.” Maybe it’s about how we, as humans, decide to use these tools, and what kind of digital world we want to build around them.