By Andrew Lensen
Publication Date: 2026-03-01 23:07:00
If you spend a lot of time on social media, you’ve probably seen it: the flood of low-quality material created with artificial intelligence is clogging up our feeds.
The so-called “AI slop” – Macquarie Dictionary’s word of the year for 2025 – is the result of the large-scale use of generative AI. Meanwhile, the internet’s most visited platforms are flooded with often intentionally misleading text, images and videos, diverting clicks from genuine news sources and confusing readers.
In New Zealand, AI-generated fake images of the tragic Mount Maunganui landslide in January were widespread, misleading people at a time of national disaster.
With a general election coming later this year, this is likely just the beginning. Political parties are already experimenting with this new technology for their election campaigns.
New Zealand has warned about the risks of AI-driven misinformation before, but its use is now increasing – and the rules designed to govern it are struggling to comply…
