The AI Content Plague: When Mediocrity Masquerades as Expertise

Jin Park
ILLUMINATION
Published in
3 min readMar 31, 2024

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Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Listen, I’m all for technological progress. But this trend of every digital huckster churning out AI-generated “ebooks” and “masterclasses” makes my eyes roll so hard they might fall out.

Apparently, all it takes to become an instant expert on sourdough baking or quantum physics these days is access to a glorified autocomplete function.

Let’s dissect the absurdity and why you, dear reader, deserve better.

The Illusion of Authority: Mistaking Mimicry for Mastery

AI can regurgitate facts and string together vaguely coherent sentences. But let’s be real — that’s not expertise. Real knowledge is nuanced, honed by experience, and fueled by curiosity.

It has texture, depth, and maybe even a few witty footnotes. These AI-vomited “ebooks” offer the informational equivalent of a cardboard cutout — flat, lifeless, and utterly lacking in originality.

The Exploitation of the Eager Learner

They prey on the genuinely curious, those hungry to learn. They offer the seductive promise of instant skill acquisition, bypassing the sweat and occasional tears that come with real learning.

It’s educational “No Child Left Behind” — dumbed-down content where everyone gets a…

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Jin Park
ILLUMINATION

Top Writer at Hacker Noon | Entrepreneur & Mental Health Advocate | Founder of Seoul:Forge