Since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT to global markets, the entire internet, hardware, and software have gone through significant changes. While the ultimate goal was to automate and reduce time-consuming tasks, it has also had an impact on jobs, technology, and, of course, how we use the internet and consume content, including articles.
But what if I told you that it is possible to surf the internet just like you did in the pre-AI era? A new browser extension is giving users a way to browse the internet without the flood of AI-generated content that has taken over search results in recent years. The tool, called Slop Evader, automatically restricts Google search results to webpages published before November 30, 2022, the day when ChatGPT was introduced.
The new tool is developed by artist and researcher Tega Brain and is designed as a response to what many users describe as AI slop, low-effort machine-generated articles, synthetic images, repetitive listicles, and automated product reviews that now dominate large parts of the web. By using the strict cut-off date, the tool recreates an internet untouched by the wave of generative AI, restoring a feed of older and often more human sources.
“Since the public release of ChatGPT and other large language models, the internet is being increasingly polluted by AI-generated text, images, and video. This browser extension uses the Google search API to only return content published before Nov 30th, 2022, so you can be sure that it was written or produced by a human hand,” the website states.
Brain describes Slop Evader as a form of digital protest, highlighting growing dissatisfaction with how quickly AI-generated content has diluted the quality of online information. The extension aims to give users more control over what they see while also highlighting the need for improved filtering, moderation, and transparency from platforms.
The Slop Evader is available for Chrome and Firefox users.