By Bodhi Haugen

With AI everywhere on our phones, I feel the only safe haven is away from a screen. When people say AI slop is taking over the world, I can’t help but think if they spent time off social media they’d realize the world’s not as rotted as it seems.

On the other hand, these past few months I have been seeing AI slop more often in person. I usually find it funny or ugly, but most of the time I’m met with genuine confusion. Too many people have become accustomed to using AI for advertising or outreach, but it’s not a good practice. The old saying goes ‘something’s better than nothing,’ but I’ve started to believe that in some cases, nothing is actually better.

There is a particular food truck around Humboldt that I wouldn’t have gone to if my friend didn’t recommend it. The truck’s theme is questionable, AI faces and a variety of little details that just don’t make sense. Yes, the truck looks atrocious, but the food is delicious. While I understand some people are not the most creative with designs and whatnot I would argue that a white truck with a Sharpied menu slapped on it could make just as many — if not more — sales than AI slop advertisements.

Another example in a similar realm is obvious AI-generated food on menus. I don’t know if they are trying to fool me, but it can’t be good for business. No way their burger has sesame seeds on the patty and lettuce in three different places. I’m not buying it, literally. Businesses should be proud of what they serve. I’d rather see the food for the first time when it comes out than look at a comedically large and unobtainable basket of fries.

My point is, lazy marketing using AI is worse than no marketing. I know this all sounds mean toward businesses, especially when a majority of them are local. I say this constructively rather than to tear any person or business down. Expressing your own creativity, even if not artistically inclined, is light-years better than any computer recreating a prompt.

Bodhi is a reporter and news editor for the Lumberjack. You can reach him at bgh27@humboldt.edu.