Two new browser extensions are giving internet users ways to navigate around the explosion of AI-generated content flooding search results.
Slop Evader was released in late October by Australian artist and environmental engineer Tega Brain, The Register reported Monday. It lets Chrome and Firefox users exclusively search content published prior to ChatGPT’s launch on Nov. 30, 2022.
The extension automatically adds Google’s date-range filters to searches, restricting results to pre-cutoff pages without requiring users to remember complex search operators.
Brain describes it as a convenience tool for those tired of questioning whether online content is real or machine-generated. The extension offers quick search options for popular platforms like Reddit, Quora, Stack Exchange, Mumsnet, Pinterest, and YouTube. However, all searches go through Google because most sites do not have their own date filters.
Brain acknowledges the tool has limitations. It cannot help with queries that require up-to-date information. Google’s ranking algorithms also determine which links rank highest within the restricted timeframe.
A second extension, Bye Bye, Google AI, takes a different approach by hiding Google’s AI Overviews, discussion sections, shopping ads, and other interface clutter rather than filtering AI-written pages themselves. This Chrome-only tool lets users see a more traditional search layout without avoiding AI-generated content in the results. Google has previously defended its AI summaries, saying that they don’t harm site traffic—but the numbers say otherwise.