The Internet May Look Different After You Listen to This

A.I. slop is taking over the internet. As the line between human-made and machine-made art blurs — and real and fake images collapse into one another — how should we think about culture now? On “The Opinions,” the Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman sits down with the columnist Tressie McMillan Cottom and the creative consultant Emily Keegin to discuss what A.I. slop is for, who benefits from it and what comes next.

Thoughts? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com.

Read the full transcript here: https://nytimes.com/2026/01/13/opinion/ai-slop-internet-trust.html

This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Vishakha Darbha. It was edited by Alison Bruzek and Kaari Pitkin. Mixing by Pat McCusker. Original music by Issac Jones and Carole Sabouraud. Fact-checking by Mary Marge Locker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The director of Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.

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