The Shape of Enshittification
5 hours ago
- #Digital decline
- #AI-generated content
- #Future of work
- A study by University of Maryland and Google DeepMind analyzed 61,608 stories and found AI-generated writing has a distinct 'shape,' identifiable with 93% accuracy. Key differences include AI over-explaining themes, being more linear, relying heavily on bodily metaphors for emotion, referencing fewer specific texts/brands/places, and having less narrative diversity.
- The modern world excessively rewards left-brain analytical work (e.g., spreadsheets, KPIs) while squeezing out right-brain activities (meaning, beauty, awe), leading to a sense of emptiness and unreality as we try to quantify inherently qualitative human experiences.
- Cory Doctorow's term 'Enshittification' describes the predictable decline of digital platforms: starting with early adoption, scaling, critical mass, then degrading with ads and business model dominance, and finally decline as users leave.
- Social media is in advanced stages of Enshittification. Platforms like LinkedIn are filling feeds with ads and AI content, reducing organic reach. The rise of AI-generated interactions diminishes the human connection that motivates posting, pushing real sharing to private chats.
- How-to nonfiction book sales are plummeting (e.g., Tim Ferriss's sales down ~80% since 2022), as AI chatbots provide instant, tailored advice. However, books offering unique perspectives, big ideas, or personal transformation are thriving, indicating a shift from information to transformation.
- The internet is being mutated by content engineered for AI scraping rather than human readers, exemplified by companies like Shopify publishing self-serving listicles to manipulate chatbot answers, creating a feedback loop of low-quality, self-referential information.
- AI-generated 'slop' is infiltrating private conversations, with people using chatbots to craft messages, leading to impersonal and 'gross' interactions. This raises concerns about authenticity and the erosion of genuine human communication.
- The future of work is bifurcating into three areas: orchestrating AI systems, skilled trades/craftsmanship in the physical world, and human-to-human work requiring trust and discernment. Real, human-centric value will become rare and highly valued amidst an ocean of AI slop.