The influence of AI on social media platforms has been acknowledged by one of America’s leading dictionaries. In light of the massive influx of online content over the last year, Merriam-Webster revealed on Sunday that its 2025 word of the year is “slop.”
The dictionary describes the word as “low-quality digital content that is typically produced in bulk using artificial intelligence.”
“Similar to slime, sludge, and muck, slop carries the damp sound of something undesirable. Slop seeps into everything,” the dictionary states, noting that, in a time marked by AI concerns, the term is meant to convey “a tone that’s less apprehensive and more derisive” towards the technology.
“It’s such an evocative term,” Greg Barlow, president of Merriam-Webster, told The Associated Press. “It’s a part of a transformative technology, AI, and it’s something that people find intriguing, frustrating, and somewhat absurd.”
The term “slop” has certainly gained traction this year, as reporters and commentators have attempted to articulate how platforms like OpenAI’s Sora and Google Gemini’s Veo are reshaping the internet. With this new type of media creator, AI-generated books, podcasts, pop songs, TV ads — even whole films — have emerged. One study from May suggested that nearly 75% of all new online content from the previous month involved some form of AI.
These innovative tools have even sparked what has been termed a “slop economy,” where surpluses of AI-generated material can be leveraged for advertising revenue. Detractors express concern that this phenomenon is exacerbating divisions within digital communities, splitting them into those who can afford premium, paywalled content and those relegated to a digital diet of slop, which — as one might expect — often lacks significant informational content.
However, “slop” has also been employed to discuss AI’s effects across a variety of sectors not directly related to traditional media consumption, encompassing cybersecurity reports, legal documents, and college essays, among other areas. Its influence is extensive, to put it mildly.
In a related note, technology terminology has emerged as a significant contender in the WOTY (word of the year) category this year. Macquarie Dictionary has already surpassed Merriam-Webster by selecting “AI slop” as its annual term, while Oxford Dictionary opted for “ragebait.” Collins Dictionary went with “vibe coding.”