Is Human Creativity About to Get More Valuable in an AI-Flooded Internet? We Explore the Rise of AI Slop on ‘The Intersect’

With so much AI-generated content flooding the internet, a new question has surfaced: Does authenticity still matter? On The Intersect with Cory Corrine, host Cory Corrine digs into this exact topic with Caroline Giegerich, the vice president of AI at the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

From AI-generated billboards that leave people unsettled to synthetic influencers gaining millions of followers, the line between what’s real and what’s not is getting harder to see. But as Giegerich points out, that very confusion might be what makes authentic, human-driven creativity even more valuable than ever.

Why an AI-generated ad feels off

Corrine opens the conversation with a now-familiar feeling: You see an ad and something looks too perfect. “The skin’s too smooth, the eyes are a little too bright. The background’s so clean it looks like it’s been scrubbed by code,” Corrine explains. That uneasy moment of recognition is becoming increasingly common, as AI-generated ads slip seamlessly into our feeds and onto billboards.

Giegerich says the problem isn’t just the technology—it’s how consumers feel about being misled. “People want to feel like they know what they’re seeing,” she explains, adding that audiences “don’t like to feel like they’ve been deceived.” When a J.Crew ad sparked online backlash for using AI-generated visuals, it wasn’t only about the quality of the work. It was about the gut-level reaction people have when they realize they’ve been tricked.

AI slop is everywhere now

Of course, not all AI-generated content is created equal. But, as consumers are finding out, AI slop now dominates. With more filler content showing up everywhere, standing out is even harder. “There’s more stuff and it’s harder to get people’s attention,” notes Giegerich. “We’re trying to get people’s attention to consume some content. Whether that’s an ad or that’s editorial, whatever it is.”

The premium on what’s human

If the internet is flooding with AI slop, then human-made work is positioned to rise in value. “What’s human is going to be much more premium than it ever has been before,” Giegerich says.

For years, consumers assumed that the content they consumed was made by people. Now that machines are in the mix, the pendulum swings: We want to know what came from actual human creativity, and we’re willing to prize it more.

That doesn’t mean AI disappears. It just means the bar for quality rises. As Corrine reflects toward the end of their chat, “I am not sure authenticity is entirely disappearing. It’s definitely getting harder to spot, even if that authenticity might be made with AI.”

Why authenticity is still the deciding factor

For Giegerich, it comes down to audience choice. “People freak out about this AI thing and that AI thing,” she says. “And I’m always like, listen, the thing is, the audience decides. If they don’t like it, don’t you worry: It won’t exist.”

For all the hand-wringing about whether AI is “killing” creativity, the truth is that authenticity is still the ultimate filter. If something feels fake, empty, or manipulative, audiences will scroll right past it. If something feels genuine and crafted with care—whether or not AI had a hand in it—it stands a chance to connect. That’s the messy reality we’re in—a hybrid world where AI is part of our daily consumption, but authenticity remains the currency that counts. The tools will keep changing, but the human desire for something real won’t.

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