AI-Slop and Political Propaganda: The Role of AI-Generated Content in Memes and Influence Campaigns
AI-Slop and Political Propaganda: The Role of AI-Generated Content in Memes and Influence Campaigns

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the phenomenon of “AI-slop” – a term denoting the mass proliferation of low-quality, AI-generated content – and its role in contemporary digital culture and political propaganda. We trace the conceptual emergence of AI-slop and analyze its epistemic, aesthetic, and socio-political implications, focusing particularly on memes as carriers of ideology. Through a media-theoretical and historical lens, we compare memes with political cartoons, highlighting how both serve as vehicles for persuasion, but noting memes’ capacity for rapid diffusion, anonymity, and heightened polarizing effects. Using the 2024 -25 Romanian elections as a case study, we show how candidates strategically deployed AI-generated memes and crude visuals to cultivate authenticity, amplify nationalist narratives, and bypass traditional media scrutiny. We argue that AI-slop not only undermines knowledge infrastructures but also reconfigures political communication, blurring the boundaries between entertainment, misinformation, and propaganda. Ultimately, AI-slop represents a critical frontier for digital literacy, democratic resilience, and information integrity.

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