Anti-Slop

Five cognitive philtres for AI prose quality — and what broke when I tested them

Mar 31, 2026

∙ Paid

Five characters standing together as a team, looking directly at the camera. Left to right: The Carpenter — stocky, canvas apron over flannel, sawdust on forearms, pencil behind ear, holding a bubble level casually at their side. Slight smirk. The Translator — wool sweater, ink-stained fingers, holding a small hand-bound dictionary against their chest. Quiet, amused expression. The Witness — dark turtleneck, arms crossed, one eyebrow slightly raised, small notepad in breast pocket. Professionally unimpressed. The Scribe — linen tunic with rolled sleeves, calligraphy pen in one hand held upright like a conductor's baton. Focused half-smile. The Clean Room — white shop coat over simple shirt, hands resting on a perfectly clean surface in front of them. Calm and slightly pleased.

Update, 2026-05-21 — I am making this my first premium post that requires a subscription to access. The Github link has also been made private, and new versions of these filters will be made available soon.

Ask Claude to write a 500-word description of Kyoto for a travel magazine. Here’s what you get:

Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, is a vibrant tapestry …

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