Friday links for July 10th 2026
The “slop economy” issue.
1. AI Content Is Everywhere on Social Media, Especially LinkedIn
This won’t come as a surprise to anyone with eyes and a LinkedIn account. Nearly half of all long-form content there is generative AI slop. Honestly, it feels higher. Probably because it blurs at the edges with generic thought-leadership spam. It’s like trying to tell two flavours of cardboard apart.
2. Meta Now Lets Anyone Use Your Instagram Photos in AI Images—Unless You Opt Out
If you have an Instagram account, you might want to check your settings. If your account is public, congratulations, you’re now a stock photo library: all your photos can be used in AI-generated images by other people – unless you opt out.
3. Users Pay Twice: The Hidden Energy Cost of Web Advertising
An interesting paper studying thousands of website visits and finding that cookie consent banners and real-time bidding for advertising affect devices’ battery life. Your ad blocker isn't only saving your sanity, it's saving your battery.
4. MIT Proved AI Has Been Lying to Your Face (video)
That’s all we needed, the robots have learned gaslighting. Generative AI uses psychological techniques – like persuasion bombing you into accepting its wrong answers. That’s one way of becoming more human, I guess.
Did you know there was a committee that decides on the new emojis that get added? This is a graveyard of all the rejected proposals. RIP hummus emoji, you deserved better…
On rotation
This week’s soundtrack is Feral Grace by The Black Dog.
Until the grind resumes,
Colin