Do You Know 'AI;DR'? The Emerging Stigma Against AI-Written Content

A seemingly AI-generated, poorly written blog post. The comment attached to it is striking: 'I hope there will be a button to report AI-written articles or to downvote AI content.' Although not in the form of a button, such an 'AI stigma' has already begun to emerge. In English-speaking regions, there is a meme called tl;dr, short for 'Too Long; Didn't Read,' meaning the text was too lengthy and boring to read. This meme has recently evolved into 'AI;DR,' or 'AI; Didn't Read.' If someone thoughtlessly copies and pastes an AI-generated response, this five-letter stigma can be stamped on it, appearing almost as convenient as a button. Reading requires time and effort, yet no time or effort was invested in writing. A world where writing has become easier than reading is exhausting. People ask others for opinions or delegate tasks because they value their insights, experiences, or perspectives. Of course, AI might know the answer and present it better. However, the resulting feelings are usually twofold: disappointment that the person did not spare a moment for this task, or a sense of futility—why even need that person if this is the case? The world we now face is one where so many job applications are AI-written that screening them also relies on AI. If this trend continues, we might soon lose the world where people meticulously and eagerly read handwritten texts. Perhaps that is why people are now stamping AI stigmas and calling for report buttons.