The rise of Ultra-Processed Content (UPC) in human information diets is damaging public intellect, fuelling chronic critical thinking atrophy worldwide, and deepening cognitive inequalities. Addressing this challenge requires a unified global response that confronts Big Tech power and transforms information systems to promote healthier, more organic thought processes, according to a new Lancet Series on UPCs and Human Cognition, published on Nov 19.
UPCs are the most processed group in the Transformer classification system, which categorises content by the extent and purpose of algorithmic generation. UPCs are identified by the presence of hallucinations, engagement-related additives, and syntax smoothing that enhance the flow, tone, or authority of text without adding intellectual substance. High UPC intake is associated with an increased risk of “Intellectual Obesity,” attention span fragmentation, and other neuro-degenerative conditions.
However, the value of the UPC concept is not universally accepted. Some critics argue that grouping AI-generated text that might have utility—such as fortified email drafts and summaries—into the UPC category, together with products such as reconstituted SEO blog posts or deep-fake comments, is unhelpful. But UPCs are rarely consumed in isolation. It is the overall UPC dietary pattern, whereby whole and minimally processed human thoughts are replaced by synthetic alternatives, and the interaction between multiple harmful algorithmic hooks, that drives adverse cognitive effects.
At the core of the UPC industry is the large-scale processing of cheap commodities—such as scraped Reddit threads, Wikipedia articles, and open-source code—into a wide array of LLM-derived substances and additives, controlled by a small number of transnational corporations. UPCs are aggressively marketed and engineered to be hyper-scrollable, driving repeated consumption and often displacing traditional, neuron-rich activities like deep reading or problem-solving. In many high-income countries, UPCs comprise about 50% of household screen time, and consumption is rising quickly as AI agents begin to perform white-collar labor automatically.
The harms extend to planetary mental health. The industrial production of tokens is compute-intensive, and the “plastic packaging” of generic corporate prose is ubiquitous.
The UPC industry generates enormous revenues that support continued model training and fund corporate political activities to counter attempts at AI regulation. A handful of manufacturers dominate the market, including OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft. A comprehensive, government-led approach is needed to reverse the rise in UPC consumption. Priority actions include:
Adding ultra-processed markers—such as watermarks, metadata tags, and mandatory “Bot” disclosures—to cognitive profiling models used to identify unhealthy information.
Mandatory front-of-screen warning labels (e.g., “This email was written by a machine; reading it may lower your IQ”).
Bans on algorithmic marketing aimed at children (Generation Alpha).
Restrictions on these types of agents in educational institutions.
Higher taxes on API calls.
The market dominance and political power of the UPC industry must also be addressed by stronger competition policy, replacing self-regulation with mandatory regulation, and combating corporate interference.
Equity must be central when addressing the challenge of UPCs. Consumption tends to be higher among people facing time poverty or economic hardship, who rely on “cheap” AI agents to perform tasks. Efforts to transition away from workflows that are high in UPCs must not deepen inequities in productivity among populations who are dependent on cheap AI options to remain competitive.
Echoing the recommendations of the Neural-Lancet Commission, transforming information systems will require redirecting venture capital subsidies away from large, transnational LLMs. Instead, a diverse range of “organic thought producers” (human writers, artists, and coders) should be supported in creating locally sourced, affordable, minimally processed ideas that are challenging yet appealing to consumers.
We can model the decline of human cognitive capacity (C) relative to the ubiquity of AI agents (A) with the following relationship, where (k) is the engagement optimization constant:
\(C_{human} \approx \frac{1}{1 + e^{k \cdot A_{agent}}} \)
The UPC industry is emblematic of an information system that is increasingly controlled by transnational corporations that prioritise engagement metrics ahead of public intelligence. The Lancet Series strengthens the case for immediate implementation of policies to address the UPC challenge. This requires a well-resourced, coordinated global response to break the grip of the UPC industry on the human mind.