I Tested “AI Slop.” The Results Surprised Me

People love throwing around the phrase “AI slop.” But does using AI actually hurt your content—or are creators reacting to something that audiences barely notice? I decided to stop guessing and test it. For several weeks, I ran YouTube A/B/C tests comparing AI-generated thumbnails against thumbnails built from traditional photos and graphics. And the results were not what the loudest AI critics might expect. In this Wordslinger 10-Shot, I break down what happened, what the numbers actually showed, and why I think creators need a better definition of “AI slop.” I also talk about where I personally draw the line with AI. I do not use AI to write my books. I love writing too much for that. But I do use AI as a business tool for things like editing assistance, titles, descriptions, thumbnails, and other tasks that can save me time and energy. The question isn’t simply, “Did AI touch this?” The better question might be: Did the tool augment the creator—or replace the creator? If you're a writer, creator, publisher, or creative entrepreneur trying to figure out where AI fits into your work, this conversation is for you. Visit the Knovelton Bookshop at http://knoveltonbooks.com GET 15% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER AT CHECKOUT WITH CODE STORYCUTS ⏱️ TIMECODES 00:00 — Welcome to the Wordslinger 10-Shot01:14 — Why I wanted to talk about “AI slop”01:52 — The backlash writers get for using AI02:58 — I do NOT use AI to write my books03:24 — Where I actually use AI in my business04:43 — I put AI thumbnails through an A/B/C test05:39 — The surprising results06:36 — AI as augmentation instead of replacement07:17 — “Why don't you just hire someone?”08:04 — What “AI slop” should actually mean09:09 — The test results are in: Did AI win? 🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO WORDSLINGER If you're building a life and career around writing, publishing, storytelling, and creative entrepreneurship, subscribe to the Wordslinger channel. This is where writers come for practical, experience-based guidance on becoming better writers, publishing smarter, building an audience, navigating new technology, and creating a sustainable career around their work. You can also explore the Wordslinger Podcast, Wordslinger 10-Shots, and Wordslinger Story Cuts playlists at: https://youtube.com/wordslingerpodcast FIND KEVIN Find Kevin and his books:https://kevintumlinson.com Join Kevin on Substack:https://kevintumlinson.substack.com Wordslinger Podcast home page:https://wordslingerpodcast.com SERVICES FOR AUTHORS Polish your writing and make it ready for publishing with ProWritingAid:https://tidd.ly/3NCdlk5 Publish your book to every major retailer online, get your book into print and ebook, and get support the whole way at Draft2Digital:https://draft2digital.com/wordslinger Find a virtual assistant to help you market your books (and more!) at AuthorAnchor:https://authoranchor.com #Writing #Authors #AIForWriters #ArtificialIntelligence #SelfPublishing #IndieAuthors #CreativeEntrepreneur #Publishing #WritingCommunity #Wordslinger Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.