Generative AI relies on a massive body of training material, primarily made up of human-authored content haphazardly scraped from the internet. Studies have found that AI models start cannibalizing this AI-generated data, which can eventually turn their neural networks into mush. There’s also the question of what will happen to human culture as AI systems digest and produce AI content ad infinitum. “They even suggest that AI systems are currently operating in this way by default.”“The convergence to a set of bland, stock images happened without retraining,” Elgammal added. “The study makes one thing clear: Absent these interventions, generative AI will continue to drift toward mediocre and uninspired content.”More on generative AI: San Diego Comic Con Quietly Bans AI Art