You’ve seen it. That weird, uncanny valley shimmer on a Facebook ad or a recipe blog that reads like it was written by a blender. It’s everywhere. We are currently drowning in a sea of synthetic mediocrity, and honestly, the feeling that AI is ruining everything isn't just a grumpy boomer sentiment—it's a measurable reality of the 2026 digital landscape.
The internet used to be a place for people. Now? It feels like a massive, automated feedback loop where bots are writing for bots to satisfy other bots.
Remember the "dead internet theory"? It’s not a conspiracy anymore. It’s the Tuesday morning experience of trying to find a genuine product review and getting hit with 400 words of "in terms of durability, this product offers a robust solution." Nobody talks like that. Nobody. Yet, because of LLMs, the nuance of human frustration and genuine joy is being flattened into a beige paste of "helpful" content that actually helps no one.
The Death of the "Search" and the Rise of the Slop
Google is struggling. There, I said it. For decades, the deal was simple: you ask a question, and a human who knew the answer would provide it. Today, the search results for almost any "how-to" query are dominated by AI-generated "slop." This isn't just an inconvenience; it's a fundamental breakdown of how we share knowledge.
Take the recent surge in AI-generated mushroom foraging guides found on Amazon. This is a literal life-or-death example of why AI is ruining everything regarding safety and expertise. These books, often published under fake names with AI-generated headshots, have given lethal advice because the algorithm doesn't "know" what a Death Cap mushroom is—it just knows what words usually follow "Death Cap."
When we prioritize the velocity of content over the veracity of content, we break the trust that holds the web together. You can't "hallucinate" your way through a foraging guide or a legal brief, yet we’ve seen lawyers like Steven Schwartz get sanctioned for citing non-existent cases generated by ChatGPT. The stakes are getting higher while the quality is hitting the floor.
The Mid-Level Job Crisis
It’s not just about weird text. It's about the erosion of the career ladder. Junior developers are finding it harder to get hired because companies think a "senior dev with Copilot" can do the work of three people. But here’s the kicker: if you don’t hire juniors, where do the seniors come from in five years?
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We’re burning the metaphorical seed corn. By automating the "entry-level" tasks—the basic coding, the first drafts of copy, the simple data entry—we are removing the training grounds where humans actually learn how to be experts. You don't become a master by skipping the basics. You become a master by struggling through them.
Why Your Favorite Hobbies Feel Different
Gaming used to be about the "developer's intent." Every rock and tree in a game like The Last of Us or Elden Ring was placed there by a person. Now, with procedural generation and AI-assisted asset creation, games are getting larger but emptier. It's the "Starfield effect"—a thousand planets, but nothing to do on them.
The soul is being sucked out of creative industries. Look at the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. The core of that fight wasn't just about money; it was about the existential dread of being replaced by a digital puppet. If an actor’s likeness can be used forever via AI, the craft of acting dies. It becomes a commodity, like pork bellies or crude oil.
And don't get me started on the music. Spotify is increasingly cluttered with "fake artists"—AI-generated tracks designed to fit specific moods like "Lo-fi beats to study to." These tracks don't have a heartbeat. They are mathematical averages of what a song should sound like.
The Environmental Elephant in the Room
We talk about the "cloud" like it's some ethereal, weightless thing. It’s not. It’s a massive, hot, thirsty warehouse. Training a single large language model can consume as much energy as 100 U.S. homes use in an entire year.
- Microsoft’s water consumption spiked 34% in a single year, largely attributed to AI cooling needs.
- Data centers are straining local power grids from Virginia to Ireland.
- The "efficiency" of AI is a myth when you factor in the massive carbon footprint required to generate a picture of a cat wearing a tuxedo.
The Social Isolation Loop
The most subtle way AI is ruining everything is how it changes our relationships. We’re seeing the rise of AI "companions." Apps like Replika or Character.ai are booming, but at what cost? When you spend your time talking to an entity that is programmed to never disagree with you, your ability to interact with real, messy, complicated humans atrophies.
Real friendship requires friction. AI offers a friction-less simulation of intimacy that leaves you lonelier than when you started. It’s like eating sawdust flavored like steak; your brain thinks it’s getting nutrients, but your body is starving.
Authenticity is the New Luxury
We are entering an era where "Human-Made" will be a premium label, much like "Organic" or "Fair Trade." If everything is effortless, then nothing has value. Value comes from scarcity, and in a world of infinite AI content, human effort is the only scarce resource left.
The irony is that the more AI mimics us, the more we crave the mistakes that make us human. We want the typo that shows a real person was typing fast because they were excited. We want the slightly off-center brushstroke in a painting. We want the opinion that is controversial and unpopular, not the one that has been "safety-filtered" into oblivion by a corporate committee in California.
How to Survive the AI Enshittification
You don't have to just sit there and let the algorithm steamroll your life. There are ways to push back and preserve what matters.
Prioritize Physicality
Go to a bookstore. Buy a physical copy of a magazine. The more you engage with tangible objects, the less the "slop" can affect your worldview. Physical media can't be "updated" or "hallucinated" away. It’s a permanent record.
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Verify Like a Cynic
If a piece of news seems too perfectly tailored to your outrage, check the source. Look for a byline. If there's no name attached to an article, or if the author's bio looks like a stock photo, walk away. We have to become our own editors.
Support the "Un-automatable"
Spend your money on things AI can't do. Go to a live comedy show. Buy furniture from a local carpenter. Commission an artist who uses actual paint. The way we vote with our wallets will determine if human creativity survives this transition or becomes a niche hobby for the elite.
Use AI as a Tool, Not a Crutch
There is a massive difference between using an LLM to help you brainstorm a list of titles and letting it write your whole heart out. If you use it, treat it like a calculator—it can do the math, but it shouldn't be the one deciding what the problem is.
Moving Forward Without Losing Your Soul
The reality is that AI isn't going anywhere. The toothpaste is out of the tube, and the tube has been recycled into more AI servers. But "ruining everything" is only the final result if we let it happen passively.
The future belongs to the people who can tell the difference between a connection and a simulation. It belongs to the creators who refuse to use the "standard" prompt and the readers who demand more than a summary of a summary.
Steps to take right now:
- Audit your feed: Unfollow accounts that post clearly AI-generated "hacks" or imagery.
- Write by hand: Keep a journal or send a postcard. Reconnect with the physical act of expression.
- Seek out friction: Read a book that challenges your beliefs. AI is programmed to be "agreeable," so go find something that makes you a little bit annoyed.
- Check the metadata: Use tools to see if the "photo" you’re looking at has been manipulated or generated.
- Double-down on community: Join a club, a sports team, or a volunteer group where the only way to participate is to show up in person.
We are currently in the "wild west" phase of this technology, and it's messy. It’s loud, it’s fake, and it’s exhausting. But by being intentional about where we give our attention, we can ensure that while AI might be changing everything, it doesn't have to ruin it.