Junk AI invades Google: how to find real content

Lately, it seems like Google isn't working the way it used to. And maybe it's not just a feeling. Who hasn't found themselves searching for a recipe, a product to buy, or a solution to a technical problem, only to find themselves navigating a sea of ​​empty, repetitive, and strangely robotic content . It's called " AI slop ," the artificial intelligence-generated garbage that's silently polluting the internet.

Low-quality AI content is killing Google searches

The problem is more serious than it seems. It's not just a few poorly written articles: it's a systematic invasion of low-quality content .

AI slop refers to mass-produced content produced by artificial intelligence with little or no human oversight. Unlike well-curated and well-edited AI content , these articles are filled with robotic phrases, recycled information, and superficial insights that clog up truly useful search results.

They're easily recognizable. They're those unnaturally written articles, reviews, and lists of recommendations that add nothing useful. They often cite ChatGPT as the source, or worse, cite each other in an endless loop of worthless content.

The problem is that this content is optimized to cheat search algorithms . This way, it ends up at the top of the results. And it's spreading quickly.

The nightmare of AI slop

AI slop is taking over search results for several reasons. First, it's profitable. Even if only a small percentage of people click on these articles or buy something from affiliate links , the sheer volume makes the strategy profitable for publishers. Furthermore, someone with AI tools can generate hundreds of articles in a single day, without the need for an editorial team. And unfortunately, search engines can't keep up.

Google is improving its ability to detect low-quality content , but AI is evolving faster. As models like ChatGPT , Claude, and Gemini become more capable, the line between passable and well-written is becoming increasingly blurred, making junk harder to spot.

And those paying the highest price are human editors. Original, valuable content written by real people is often buried under sterile AI-generated content. For users, the cost is time: having to click through five or six useless pages just to find a decent answer is frustrating and, frankly, exhausting.

How to clean up search results

Until search engines catch up, there are a few tricks to finding better information.

One of the most effective methods is to use specific search engines . For example, if you're looking for genuine reviews or personal experiences, simply add " site:reddit.com " to your search (e.g., "best running shoes site:reddit.com"). This tells Google to only show results from Reddit, where real people share firsthand opinions.

Filtering by date is also very useful. Sites that churn out AI content often don't include publication dates on their articles, or they use fake dates to appear timely. If you narrow your Google search to the last few months or year, you're more likely to find content written by real people on topics that change over time. One last tip: use alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo or Perplexity AI .

Ironically, some of the best AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude can be more useful than search engines. These chatbots can summarize searches and answer specific questions. The important thing is to always verify what they generate.

The point is that AI-generated articles should be clearly labeled. Search engines should boost verified human-generated content to the top of the SERPs, especially when it comes to recommendations, reviews, and news.