Behind the “AI slop”: exploring the AI-generated viral short video production in China
As generative AI becomes embedded in platform-based cultural production, new forms of creative labour are emerging that challenge established understandings of what it means to be a “creator.” This article examines AI slop creators in China, a group that uses generative tools to benchmark viral content, test formats, operate matrix account systems, and formalise production, transforming virality from an unpredictable outcome into an object of systematic management. Drawing on ethnographic resear
Record details
Published: 12 August 2026
Source: AI & Society
Category: Research
Topics: Jobs & economy
Retrieved: 13 August 2026
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ethics.ai (12 August 2026), “Behind the “AI slop”: exploring the AI-generated viral short video production in China,” evidence record 18843, https://ethics.ai/record/18843 (originally published by AI & Society).
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