Tech Algorithms Erode Personal Taste as 71% of Online Images Turn AI-Generated

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 14

Algorithmic feeds on platforms from Spotify to Instagram are flattening personal taste, steering users toward repetitive, low-friction content and leaving many unsure what they genuinely like.
That erosion is reinforced by engineered virality: marketers now simulate trends and stealth campaigns to push songs, shows and styles, blurring the line between authentic enthusiasm and disguised advertising.
AI is accelerating the same dynamic. About 71% of images shared online are estimated to be AI-generated, more than a third of podcasts use AI, and Spotify removed 75 million AI tracks last year.
Tech firms are also "taste-washing" their power by borrowing cultural cachet—Jeff Bezos reportedly paid $10 million to be a Met Gala honorary chair—while presenting taste as a human moat in the AI era.
Signs of backlash are emerging: Financial Times data said social-media time peaked in 2022, Ofcom found posting fell 12% in the past year, and smaller algorithm-light platforms such as PI.FYI and Letterboxd are gaining appeal.