Beware AI Generated Quotes And Fake Images

The Unsettling Discovery of AI Slop

I recently came across a piece of nonsense on a Facebook page about Stoicism. It featured a quote attributed to me, accompanied by a picture that was supposedly of me. As you can see below (with my own editorial comment added at the top), it's a clear example of what I call "AI slop."

Deconstructing the AI-Generated Fake

To be perfectly clear, this is a complete fabrication on two levels.

First, that is absolutely not a quote from me. I know this because I am me, but I also double-checked. A quick search reveals the only place this quote appears online is on that specific Facebook page, attributed to me. Given that I've been perpetually online for about three decades, this is highly unlikely.

Second, the picture is not of me. It's what you get when you ask an AI to generate a picture of John Scalzi. The result is an image of someone who looks like they believe Curtis Yarvin is too liberal. So, to recap: we have a quote I never said, attached to a picture that isn't me, both almost certainly generated by AI.

Setting the Record Straight: My Actual Philosophy

Beyond being fake, the quote isn't even something I would say from a philosophical standpoint. If you're looking for a widely-quoted comment from me about the nature of the universe, it's this one:

“There’s a difference between the fact that the universe is inherently unfair on a cosmic level, and the fact that life is unfair because people are actively making it so.”

I think you'll agree that this statement is more interesting, both as a sentence and as a philosophical idea, than the vapid nonsense generated by the AI. As someone who holds a degree in philosophy, I would much rather have my actual words represent me than this AI slop.

A Call for Critical Vigilance Online

This incident is yet another piece of evidence supporting something I've frequently begged people to do: beware of random quotes you find on the internet. This is especially true when they are attached to celebrities or other notable figures.

Please, I urge you to critically evaluate what you see online! This applies whether the quote is attributed to Morgan Freeman, the Pope, or even me.

I thank you in advance for your vigilance.

— JS