Depending on who you ask, generative AI is both an exhilarating tech revolution or an existential menace, and there’s little in-between. It’s laborious in charge anybody for an excessive response, too, given the magnitude of capital funding, hyperbolic advertising, and speedy progress of generative AI in such a brief period of time. But it’s not simply the economics and technical feats of AI which have folks shedding their minds; there’s additionally one thing extra philosophical percolating, and it’s driving some folks “to the brink.”
People are actually having a psychological breakdown over Veo-3 pic.twitter.com/ym5oZDYZGr
— Chubby♨️ (@kimmonismus) May 27, 2025
The newest AI development to ship folks down an existential rabbit gap comes courtesy of Google, which simply introduced its newest video era mannequin known as Veo 3. As I’ve reported a number of occasions now, Veo 3 is already stepping into some wild stuff—turning up the dial on AI slop, deepfaking smooth-brained YouTube content material, and doubtlessly upending sport improvement, to call a number of issues. As it seems, individuals are being attentive to all of these feats, and a few of them aren’t precisely pleased about what they see.
As evidenced by a thread from the subreddit r/artificialintelligence posted this week titled “VEO3 is sort of bringing me to a psychological brink. What are we even doing anymore?” Google’s Veo 3 and the implications therein have some folks spiraling. “I’m simply sort of speechless. The idea of existential disaster has taken an entire new type. I used to be sad with my life simply now however thought I can flip it round, but when I flip it round, what’s left of our world in 2 a long time?” the publish’s writer writes.
“Actors as an idea are gone? Manually creating music? Wallpapers? Game belongings? Believing feedback on the web are from actual folks? AI edited images are simply as actual as the unique samples? Voicenotes might be completely faked?… Literally what worth is being left for us?”
Reactions to the thread are combined, with options that the writer ought to go “contact grass” or perhaps “go to remedy,” however there’s additionally a refrain in settlement. The consensus from the latter group? AI slop is coming to spoil your artwork, and there’s not a lot we will do about it.
I, for what it’s value, fall unhelpfully in between the 2 camps. I believe there’s a deluge of AI slop incoming, and, if we’re being trustworthy, we’re already as much as our ankles. Between Veo and OpenAI’s Sora and the clear curiosity in automating human creativity, I believe we will fairly buckle in and anticipate the world of flicks, music, and leisure writ giant to get slightly uneven. Whether any of these efforts to automate leisure will stick is much less apparent. The factor about artwork is that the sort that folks have a tendency to love is the sort that has one thing substantial to say. Right now, for all of its mimicry, generative AI doesn’t even have something to say, as a result of technically all it could possibly do is remix and repeat.
I did extra exams with Google’s #Veo3. Imagine if AI characters grew to become conscious they have been residing in a simulation! pic.twitter.com/nhbrNQMtqv
— Hashem Al-Ghaili (@HashemGhaili) May 21, 2025
Call me an optimist, however most individuals can possible sniff out the distinction between slop and artwork, and as a lot as studios would like to wave a magic wand and rid themselves of human creatives and the price of their labor, deep down they know that they’d must Ctrl+Z that transfer simply as quick. That’s to not say there received’t be casualties within the AI age—if there’s one lesson we will be taught from mass waves of automation in years previous, it’s that labor forces are often essentially the most affected.
But in terms of artwork, issues aren’t so easy. Art, no less than the great variety, is about human connection, and till AI can suppose and really feel like we do, there’s nothing that may exchange that. So, earlier than you crash out over AI slop, simply bear in mind: AI nonetheless thinks placing glue in your pizza is a good suggestion, so we could have a number of extra good years left within the tank.
