Key Takeaways
- AI-generated content is flooding search and social. It’s getting harder to tell what’s real and what’s not, and customers are noticing.
- Pinterest added tools to limit AI slop. They’re giving users more control, but as the technology gets better, it gets harder to tell the real from the imagined.
- Your real work still matters. Showing what’s real, like your process, people, and results, builds trust that AI can’t replicate.
AI Slop Is Everywhere
AI-generated content is exploding, and not all of it is useful. From travel photos of places that don’t exist to picture-perfect hairstyles no one can actually recreate, the internet is full of what some are calling “AI slop.”
The problem? It’s getting harder to tell what’s real. People scroll through inspiration boards and social feeds filled with content that looks amazing, but doesn’t exist in the physical world. And it’s starting to have real-world consequences.
When AI Crosses Into the Real World
This shift isn’t just happening online. It’s affecting real businesses.
We heard from a florist recently who said brides are bringing in inspiration photos for bouquets only to find out the flowers don’t even exist. The images looked beautiful, but they weren’t based in reality. That creates a frustrating gap between expectation and what’s actually possible.
And it’s not just florists. Stylists, landscapers, bakers, travel planners or anyone who works with visual ideas or physical results is starting to see the impact.
Pinterest Responds to the Problem
Pinterest recently took a step to address this. After hearing from users who said they wanted more real content — not just AI-generated perfection — the platform rolled out a new option. You can now choose to see fewer AI-generated images in multiple categories in your feed.
To make this work, they’ve also started tagging images as AI-generated, but even that isn’t foolproof. Some real photos are getting incorrectly flagged, while some AI content still slips through. It’s a hard problem to solve, and it’s only going to get more complicated as the tech improves.
So What Does That Mean for You?
If you’re a business owner trying to show real work, this matters.
People are more skeptical now. They’ve seen too much content that looks great but isn’t grounded in reality. That means it’s even more important to show what you actually do.
Whether you’re a florist, a contractor, a designer, or a consultant, your audience needs to know your results are real, and that starts with what you share.
Tips to Keep Your Content Real
Using AI to help with content isn’t wrong. But it shouldn’t replace the reality of your work. Try this:
- Share behind-the-scenes photos, even if things aren’t polished
- Post in-progress shots, not just the final result
- Use real testimonials and client quotes
- Record a quick video walking through a real project or story
- Show your face, your space, your team: the human stuff
These signals help people trust that what they’re seeing is actually yours.
Try This: One Real Post
- Post a photo from your real work. Not a stock photo, not AI
- Include a line about the story behind it
- Add a quote or takeaway from the customer, if you can
The Bottom Line
What do you think of all the AI-generated content out there? Have you been fooled by it? Or maybe you’ve leaned into using it.That’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with using AI in your business. The key is using it wisely, without losing what’s real about your business. That’s what your customers connect with. And in a world of filters and fakes, that’s what makes you stand out.
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Links in this episode: Pinterest adds controls to let you limit the amount of ‘AI slop’ in your feed
Pinterest rolls out new tools to give users more control over GenAI content
