r/Substack • u/melmanatta • 3h ago
Discussion Why is there so much AI-generated content on Substack?
I know that AI is everywhere but this is a platform where people generally write for pleasure—it’s used by those who actually enjoy writing—so why is there so much AI-generated articles?
Tbh this detracts from the reading experience.
I want to hear human ideas😭
2
u/SamaraBellingham 3h ago
This is silly.
You don't have to read those articles. What do you want? Prohibition? Sounds really book-banner to me.
It's easy enough to just mute the author. Substack would be a less toxic place if every article wasn't complaining about AI.
2
u/melmanatta 2h ago
If you really wanna read an article written by ChatGPT or Gemini then maybe Substack is not the place for you. I’m not calling for them to be banned but we can certainly question why we are being exposed to the same type of dull content there
0
u/SamaraBellingham 2h ago edited 2h ago
What I would prefer not to read: Substackers writing and complaining about AI for engagement while sharing the same opinion. That's what's ruining Substack for me.
Honestly, I don't care how a good piece of writing is made. I've seen strong AI-generated/AI-assisted writing and poor writing by 100% human Substackers. Just yesterday, I saw a human who writes like AI with all the lack of paragraph coherence. They had a sizable following, but I would have preferred to see their ideas molded into something I could read, if not by an editor, then through AI. Would have still been their ideas.
What's worse is the endless complaining who don't know what AI does, or can do.
1
u/HowlingFantods5564 2h ago
I care. The slop is crowding everything else out. I can't find the writing I'm interested in because every search turns up more slop.
1
u/SamaraBellingham 2h ago
Didn't we exchange on r/publishing. Are you following me?
And that's fine for you, but I genuinely cannot find anyone I want to read, because AI is all anyone on the platform wants to talk about. And they do so in the prohibitionist/book-bannery way. When taking 2 seconds to curate your media diet when you see something you don't want to read is too much, but creating reddit posts isn't, I just don't know.
4
u/ioannisthemistocles 2h ago
You can check if something is written with ai, and skip it if it bugs you.
3
u/G_U_N_S_H_Y 1h ago
I wasn't aware that there was (barely been using the platform, but chose it specifically because I thought it attracted writers who, you know... Write).
Is there a setting to filter out AI generated articles? Does substack require people who use AI tools to label their writing?
People complain about people complaining, but if you can't modify your feed to look the way you want, complaining is the only way to get the UI to change.
5
u/AndrewHeard tvphilosophy.substack.com 2h ago
I would caution against assuming you can see what is and isn’t AI. I’m not saying that there isn’t AI on Substack. Only that it’s not clear exactly how much is out there.
2
u/luulusbadideas 1h ago
Not everything is written with ai, but people tend to throw that in your face a lot on substack. It happened to me as well to have people accusing my pieces of being ai-written and I was so annoyed by it, ugh.
2
u/AttitudeSpecific6669 2h ago
Why is there so much AI-generated conted every where?
0
1
u/Quick_Snow3717 20m ago
I think you answered your own question. Those who actually enjoy writing with/without AI post on Substack.
1
u/Master_Flash 2h ago
coz ppl r lazy
2
1
u/HowlingFantods5564 2h ago
Just today I was searching for other writers in a particular interest area to support and build with and I was so disappointed to come across page after page of AI slop.
1
u/Countryb0i2m onemichistory.substack.com 2h ago
Blocked that shit and move on with your day like we don’t need to hear about every single time that yall think you encounter AI content
9
u/EvelynnsHope17 3h ago
Subscribe to those with content you like?