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Kurzgesagt: AI Slop Is Killing Our Channel [video]

60 points by maxloh 1y ago

cyborgrising 1y ago
The stunning revelation in the video was that Kurz tried using AI to write a script about Brown Dwarf stars. Kurz have a robust fact-checking process with multiple independent experts, and about 20% of the 'facts' in the AI script couldn't be verified by Kurz staff from the listed sources. When the script was given to independent experts, these experts identified the exact same suspect facts, which the AI seemed to have made up in order to fulfill the general expectations of the script. Kurz ultimately shelved the AI script. Kurz later observed that another creator on YouTube published a well-edited video about Brown Dwarfs that received a fair bit of viewership. Only Kurz were completely horrified to find that it incorporated the very 'facts' about Brown Dwarves that Kurz had determined were AI hallucinations. It was clear that the other YouTube creator had used AI at some point in the process of script writing, but failed to identify and remove the hallucinations and the video was becoming a prominent source of public information about the topic.
- Neywiny 1y ago
  I watched the video right before seeing this post and I wasn't surprised at all. They don't care. AI script, graphics, voice over. There was 0 skin in the game. To paraphrase Michael Scott, if you cancel the channel over fake news they'll just make another one and another one and another one. It's effortless to make slop, so they have no incentive to care
  - port11 1y ago
    Surely you mean Michael Scarn, secret agent? I kid, but we have to change the incentive structure then. Or rather, the disincentive: if you publish blatant misinformation, you're banned from creating content for a while. YouTube accounts are linked to Google accounts which aren't that easy to mass create. Note I'm not saying you go to jail or pay fines. I don't trust the public system to not abuse this as fake news gets redefined by the dictator du jour.
tim333 1y ago
I think maybe the worry about the slop is overdone? I know it's out there but usually stop watching after about 3 seconds on youtube.
- yoyohello13 1y ago
  Watching the video it's more about the exponential increase in misinformation.
  - Breza 1y ago
    Yeah, and there are areas where it's really hard to tell if something is accurate, like astronomy.
- kulahan 1y ago
  I’m glad that you’ve got all the mental facilities necessary to pick this out in 3 seconds, but unless you think you’re of below-average intelligence, you’ll be better prepared to spot that than most.

60 points by maxloh 1y ago

The stunning revelation in the video was that Kurz tried using AI to write a script about Brown Dwarf stars. Kurz have a robust fact-checking process with multiple independent experts, and about 20% of the 'facts' in the AI script couldn't be verified by Kurz staff from the listed sources. When the script was given to independent experts, these experts identified the exact same suspect facts, which the AI seemed to have made up in order to fulfill the general expectations of the script. Kurz ultimately shelved the AI script. Kurz later observed that another creator on YouTube published a well-edited video about Brown Dwarfs that received a fair bit of viewership. Only Kurz were completely horrified to find that it incorporated the very 'facts' about Brown Dwarves that Kurz had determined were AI hallucinations. It was clear that the other YouTube creator had used AI at some point in the process of script writing, but failed to identify and remove the hallucinations and the video was becoming a prominent source of public information about the topic.

Neywiny 1y ago
I watched the video right before seeing this post and I wasn't surprised at all. They don't care. AI script, graphics, voice over. There was 0 skin in the game. To paraphrase Michael Scott, if you cancel the channel over fake news they'll just make another one and another one and another one. It's effortless to make slop, so they have no incentive to care
- port11 1y ago
  Surely you mean Michael Scarn, secret agent? I kid, but we have to change the incentive structure then. Or rather, the disincentive: if you publish blatant misinformation, you're banned from creating content for a while. YouTube accounts are linked to Google accounts which aren't that easy to mass create. Note I'm not saying you go to jail or pay fines. I don't trust the public system to not abuse this as fake news gets redefined by the dictator du jour.

tim333 1y ago

I think maybe the worry about the slop is overdone? I know it's out there but usually stop watching after about 3 seconds on youtube.

yoyohello13 1y ago
Watching the video it's more about the exponential increase in misinformation.
- Breza 1y ago
  Yeah, and there are areas where it's really hard to tell if something is accurate, like astronomy.
kulahan 1y ago
I’m glad that you’ve got all the mental facilities necessary to pick this out in 3 seconds, but unless you think you’re of below-average intelligence, you’ll be better prepared to spot that than most.