There’s certain domains where rate of slop (RoS) will grow linearly whilst rate of broth (RoB) will grow non-linearly. Those are the domains to be playing in.

I don’t think we have fully absorbed what this does to our field, but the first effects are already visible. What was surprising in March 2026 became common knowledge by July 2026: POPL submissions nearly doubled this year, from ~350 to 600. The unexpected part is that the fraction of outright AI-generated slop among them is relatively small. Most are pieces of competent research, produced at ten times the usual pace, with the tedium of proofs, implementations, and evaluation now largely automated. Having more than two papers at a single POPL, PLDI, OOPSLA, or ICFP used to signal a strong vision, a prolific group, and a wide network of collaborators. Now the same amount of research can be done by a single PhD graduate with good ideas. Therefore, I would not be surprised if three or four single-author papers at a top PL venue becomes unremarkable within a year or two.

When the Hard Part Stops Being Hard | Proofs and Intuitions ↗