Authenticity under pressure: AI slop flags, account purges, and veterans using AI

An Ask HN proposes a flag for AI-generated articles. Replies cite the new guideline against posting generated or AI-edited text, but point out that detectors are unreliable and that a flag could raise stigma around LLMs. One commenter says a similar stigma on Lobsters made them feel unwelcome even though they don't use LLMs to write. In a parallel story, X purged 13,000 accounts tied to suspected meddling before the US midterms, and Cliff Stoll's 'rumors of my death' post responds to an AI-generated obituary, with commenters joking about 'social death'.

On the other side, a 60-year-old says Claude Code re-ignited a passion, and others in their 50s describe becoming solo founders or finally clearing a backlog. One person, though, spent two days with Claude and found it unfulfilling, like getting an A without studying.

The pattern: AI makes creation cheaper for people who love building, and makes trust in text and accounts more expensive for everyone else.