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PreprintCited by 6Artificial Intelligence ApplicationsImpact of AI and Big Data on Business and SocietyEthics and Social Impacts of AI

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The 7Vs of AI Slop: A Typology of Generative Waste

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Madsen, Dag Øivind, Puyt, Richard W.·2025·International Journal of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Business
DOI 10.2139/ssrn.5558018
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Abstract

The rise of generative artificial intelligence has introduced a new shorthand in digital culture: AI slop. The term refers to the flood of low-quality, machine-generated content that now saturates platforms, from generic essays and clickbait blogs to uncanny images, deepfake pornography, and synthetic video. This paper develops a typology of AI slop structured around seven dimensions-the 7Vs: Volume (scale of production), Velocity (speed of generation and circulation), Variety (range of forms and genres), Value (erosion of cultural and epistemic worth), Verification (problems of truth and trust), Visibility (algorithmic amplification), and Virality (meme-like diffusion). Together, these dimensions explain how generative waste proliferates, why it dominates attention economies, and what risks it poses to knowledge infrastructures, creative industries, and democratic publics. Situating AI slop within theories of platform capitalism, information overload, and epistemic pollution, the paper argues that slop is not a passing nuisance but a structural feature of contemporary media ecologies. The 7Vs provide a framework for analyzing generative waste across cultural, academic, commercial, political, and organizational domains, offering a foundation for future empirical and conceptual research into how societies can navigate and mitigate slop-saturated environments.

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Research works printed but not linked: 50

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Metadata

Authors
Madsen, D. Ø., & Puyt, R. W.
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Business
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2025
Volume
1
Issue
3
ISSN
2977-7879 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2139/ssrn.5558018
OpenAlex
W7220734800
Cited by
6
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 6
FWCI
20.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Business (publishedVersion)
  • SSRN Electronic Journal (acceptedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Artificial Intelligence Applications
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Impact of AI and Big Data on Business and Society
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
Keywords
generative AI, AI-generated content, waste, typology, AI-generated text quality, business applications of AI

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