Startups Crack Down on AI-Generated 'Slop' in Internal Communications
As AI-generated writing becomes more prevalent in startups, companies are establishing policies to combat the resulting communication problems and ensure clarity and originality in internal documents and messages.
The increasing use of AI to write documents, emails, and Slack messages in startups has led to a surge in internal communication problems. To address this issue, companies are hurriedly drawing up new policies to regulate the use of AI in writing. For instance, Clay, a sales intelligence startup, has published its AI Writing Policy, which encourages employees to think before using AI to write and ensures that documents reflect their own thoughts.
## The Problem of AI-Generated 'Slop' The use of AI in writing can result in documents that are longer and less comprehensible, with messages between team members often being jumbled. This can lead to confusion and wasted time, as employees struggle to understand what is being communicated. According to Clare Jones, CEO of Polarstep, the use of AI-generated writing can make it harder to understand what each other is trying to say, with the resulting text often being filled with unnecessary words and phrases.
## Regulating AI-Generated Content To combat the problem of AI-generated 'slop', startups are establishing policies to regulate the use of AI in writing. These policies aim to ensure that employees use AI intentionally and oversee its output to prevent the production of inaccurate or misleading text. For example, Victor Riparbelli, cofounder of Synthesia, has asked employees to use AI more intentionally to avoid wasting time and to sharpen documents before sharing them.
## The Future of AI Writing Policies The use of AI writing policies is likely to become more widespread as startups and other organizations recognize the importance of clear and original communication. According to Sarah Drinkwater, solo GP at Common Magic, AI writing policies are necessary for startups as they help team members distinguish where generating content is appropriate and where it creates slop, wastes time, and leads to unoriginal thinking. The tech industry is also moving to set new standards, with companies like Anthropic and LinkedIn introducing features to detect and regulate AI-generated content.
The benefits of using AI to communicate in ways other than text are also being explored. For instance, large language models can present information in varying formats to suit individual needs, and voice AI can enable team members to talk through ideas while the AI takes notes. However, regulating the use of AI in writing is likely to persist as people tire of slop and demand more clarity and originality in internal communications.
