Beyond the slop: AI, quality and the work we put our names to
In our next Gathering on 18 November, we want to address AI slop and how we can go beyond it.
We have seen it everywhere. It started with sloppy images littering our feeds, and then it expanded to writing. So many people complained that platforms like LinkedIn and Substack developed menus for users to flag posts as AI slop, or integrated AI detectors that disclose what percentage of a post is estimated to be AI-generated.
Recently, a tech CEO ranted about “slop grenades” in the way people work. You may have seen them too: the email that is far too long, difficult to parse, and says almost nothing, or the report or presentation with that annoying style that makes you wonder how much care was put into the work.
We want to discuss the problems with sloppy authorship and writing, sloppy software, and sloppy ways of working and communicating. And we want to point toward ways to go beyond AI slop: can you stand by every word, even if AI helped you write it?
Our speakers
Sophie Gee, on writing and authorship.
Sophie is Professor of English at Princeton University, and co-director of the Eleos Collaboration at the University of Sydney. This program focuses on the arts and humanities as foundational to the purpose and future of universities.
She’s also co-host of the Secret Life of Books, a much-loved and internationally acclaimed podcast about classic literature. From 2024- 25, she was the inaugural Vice Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Sydney, and she speaks worldwide at arts and literary festivals about why books and humanities matter.
Dr Aaron Snoswell, on software.
Aaron is a computer scientist and Senior Research Fellow at the QUT GenAI Lab. His research looks at the social and cultural implications of generative AI technology, and in particular responsible evaluation practices. He writes and speaks about topics including AI software development, detecting AI output, training of AI systems, and AI Safety.
He’ll bring stories from indie games and building software: what it means for the people making it and how it is changing with AI in the picture.
Alberto Chierici, on the way we work and communicate.
Alberto is principal AI specialist at Gradient Institute. With a PhD in language models and information retrieval from NYU and more than a decade building AI ventures, Alberto is no stranger to using these tools.
How the evening works
Each speaker opens with a short talk on a different kind of slop. Bill Simpson-Young of Gradient Institute then leads a conversation across the three, then it’s over to the room.
Venue: Stone & Chalk Tech Central Sydney, Level 1/477 Pitt St, Haymarket NSW 2000 (https://share.google/aZBTcA8NfiP4bEDQt)
Date: 18 November 2026
5:30 pm: doors open, food and drinks
6:30 pm: talks and conversation
8:00 pm: close
Register at https://luma.com/oqpgz3jd
