Fixing the AI slop problem in open source
Bill Doerrfeld | March 29, 2026
My
latest feature for The New Stack looks into solutions being proposed to fix open source Slopmageddon.
Open source maintainers are getting hammered by AI slop contributions. These take 12x more time to review, says one developer.
It's a messy evolving issue right now. The kind of topic I like exploring with deep feature articles. 😅
Over the past month I've been talking to a number of folks and looking into stories and research around the topic. Today I'm excited to share my feature for The New Stack.
The verdict? It's gonna take a combination of new platform tools, updated contributor guidelines, vouch and reputation systems, foundation guidance, and community support to fix the problem at scale.
Without trust, open source breaks down. Check it out for an overview of the dilemma and what experts suggest going forward.
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My latest research for AI Security University looks at AI tools and resources for pen-testers, red teamers, and bug bounty hunters.
My commissioned feature for Arthur D. Little's PRISM publication analyzes the big shifts underway now that generating code is becoming trivial.
Was happy to participate as a speaker and moderator at SecureMaine on October 8th, 2026.
My latest for LeadDev interviews a Meta engineer who built an agentic system to optimize their capacity planning, leading to real power use savings.
