At a Glance
> At a Glance
> – AI video tech surged in 2025, reaching near-real-life quality.
> – Major studios sued AI platforms for plagiarism; a $1.5B settlement followed.
> – Experts warn that unchecked AI content could flood 2026 with low-quality “slop.”
> – Why it matters: The rise of AI-generated media challenges what we consider art and forces a rethink of creative standards.
AI-generated images and videos have moved from shaky prototypes to near-indistinguishable productions by the end of 2025. As the technology gains viral popularity, creators, studios and regulators are raising alarms about plagiarism, energy use and a potential flood of low-quality content. The debate centers on whether anything produced by AI can truly be called art.
The Rapid Rise of AI Video
The year 2025 saw AI video models leap from clunky, hallucination-ridden clips to near-real-time productions. Veo 3 proved that cinematic AI video is possible, while its companion app Sora showcased a future where anyone’s likeness could be re-imagined. The pace of improvement over the last seven months has been frenetic.
- Veo 3 – cinematic AI video
- Sora – second-generation model powering Veo 3
- Google’s Nano Banana – first image model
- OpenAI’s first image model – launched a few months ago
Legal and Ethical Backlash
Hollywood giants Disney and Warner Bros filed lawsuits against Google and Midjourney, calling the latter a “bottomless pit of plagiarism.” Anthropic announced a $1.5 B settlement with authors who accused it of piracy.
Nora Garrett stated:
> “AI is sold to us like it’s the future, but it’s a regurgitation of our collective past, remarketed as the future.”
Guillermo del Toro added:
> “I’d rather die.”
The Nature of AI-Generated Content
AI models are trained on vast swaths of human-generated data-photos, designs, social media posts-making them adept at mimicking styles but rarely producing something truly new. The result is a lack of originality and emotional depth that distinguishes human art.
- AI rarely creates novel content
- Training data dictates style replication
- Emotional resonance is minimal
The Problem of AI Slop
The surge in creative AI has flooded social media with low-quality, plastic, and often pointless images and videos-what the author calls “AI slop.” While not pretending to be art, its ubiquity makes the online landscape feel antisocial. Tech companies have invested in deep-fake safeguards, but detection tools are still insufficient.
- Ubiquitous low-quality content
- Deep-fake bypasses
- Inadequate detection technology
What Must Change
If the spread of AI-generated content is to be curbed, the demand must be reduced. Creators and brands must prioritize human-centric work and clearly label AI outputs. The industry cannot rely on tech companies alone to police the space.
Key Takeaways
- AI video reached near-real-life quality in 2025.
- Legal action and a $1.5 B settlement highlight plagiarism concerns.
- Unchecked AI content could flood 2026 with low-quality slop.
The debate over AI and art is far from over; the next few years will test whether creative standards can keep pace with rapid technological change.
