Growing unease around artificial intelligence has found an unusual marker this year, as a leading dictionary selected the term “slop” that reflects the changing digital landscape. The choice points to rising frustration with the quality and volume of content now flooding online platforms.
Merriam Webster declared “slop” its 2025 word of the year on Monday. The dictionary now defines slop as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” Earlier uses of the word mainly referred to a “product of little value” or food waste given to animals, but its modern meaning has expanded with the rapid spread of AI tools.
Major social networks have been overwhelmed by waves of AI generated material. One example cited by a technology news outlet described “a video of a bizarre creature turning into a spider, turning into a nightmare giraffe inside of a busy mall,” which was viewed more than 362 million times across Meta apps. In September, Meta launched Vibes, a separate feed focused on AI videos. Days later, OpenAI released its Sora app. These platforms, along with TikTok and YouTube, are increasingly filled with AI slop that can still earn revenue if it attracts enough engagement.
The music industry has also been affected. Spotify said in September it removed over 75 million AI generated “spammy tracks” and introduced stricter rules to protect artists from impersonation and deception. The company faced criticism after The Velvet Sundown reached 1 million monthly listeners without clearly stating its songs were made using generative AI. The artist later updated its bio, calling itself a “synthetic music project.” Meanwhile, public interest appears to be cooling. According to a recent All America Economic Survey by a business news outlet published on Dec. 15, only 48% of respondents said they had recently used AI platforms like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, or Google Gemini, down from 53% in August.
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