2025’s word of the year was Slop. Yep, you heard that right… Merriam-Webster’s human editors announced it in the middle of last month. They described it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.”
You may have noticed a flood of slop in 2025, from fake news that looked almost real, to reports of “workslop” (AI-generated content at work that looks polished but lacks substance). The content we’re consuming online is not substantial, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between real and AI-generated content.
“It’s such an illustrative word,” Merriam-Webster’s president, Greg Barlow, highlights. “It’s part of a transformative technology, AI, and it’s something that people have found fascinating, annoying and a little bit ridiculous.”
AI has taken over many facets of our daily lives; it certainly feels like the ‘IT’ topic of the last year. From AI-generated books, pop songs, TV adverts, and even full-length films, it’s hard to avoid it! An article from May 2025 highlighted that 74% of new webpages included AI content.
The threat of AI
“Slop” first appeared in the 1700s to describe soft mud. In the 1800s, it referred to food waste. Over time, it started to signify a product of little or no value, as per Merriam-Webster. Today, this includes digital content. It sounds like what it means, slimy or sludgy, unwelcomely oozing into everything.
These words of the year aren’t just fun, silly slang terms. They give us insight into the current trends, obsessions, and worries of everyday people. Today, people are worried about the influx of low-quality AI content flooding our feeds.
At the same time, the word of the year being slop indicates a less sceptical approach to AI. When it entered mainstream media, many feared its takeover, especially in terms of marketing. This sets a less fearful, more mocking tone. Calling its output slop reframes this anxiety into mockery, reasserting that when it comes to replacing human creativity, AI just can’t beat it.
What comes next?
Yoshida Walter explores how the future of AI will be “next to normal”, despite current anxieties surrounding it. It will go from sensationalised to regularly used. He talks of the exposure effect, where people develop more positive views of people or things over time just by mere exposure. However, this may be upended by growing cynicism. He talks of the “black box effect”, wherein we develop negative emotions when we don’t understand something. Many of us still don’t truly understand the nitty-gritty behind AI and how it works, which brings about these cynical feelings.
Social media users are clearly fatigued by the influx of AI content, but will we grow accustomed and potentially even encourage it, or will we stay sceptical?
Have you been relying on AI to produce your marketing content? Think of your project as the artwork, AI as the paintbrush, and yourself as the artist. Don’t let ChatGPT take over the creative role. Need a hand with this, perhaps a new artist? Let us help! Reach out for a no-fuss, no-pressure chat today.
