Artificial intelligence has reshaped how content is produced and consumed. It has also reshaped the language people use to describe what they encounter online. Merriam-Webster’s choice of “slop” as its Word of the Year reflects a growing public response to the flood of AI-generated material across the internet.
From leftover food to digital shorthand
Traditionally, slop referred to something messy, low-grade, or hastily thrown together. In recent years, the word has taken on a sharper digital meaning. People now use it to describe online content that feels mass-produced, shallow, or disposable.
This shift did not happen in isolation. As AI tools made it easier to generate text, images, and videos at scale, the internet filled up quickly. Not all of it was useful. Not all of it was accurate. And much of it felt interchangeable.
“Slop” became a convenient label for that experience.
The role of heavy AI usage
Heavy AI usage accelerated content creation far faster than quality controls could keep up. Automated blog posts, synthetic videos, AI-written comments, and recycled ideas began to dominate feeds and search results.
For some users, the issue was not that AI existed. It was that too much content started to feel the same. When effort, originality, and intent became harder to detect, frustration followed. People needed a word that captured both overload and disappointment.
Why the word stuck
People use “slop” because it is blunt and efficient. It communicates dissatisfaction without requiring a technical explanation. Instead of analysing prompts, models, or training data, users can dismiss low-value output with a single word.
The term also carries an implicit contrast. If something is slop, then something else must be thoughtful, well-made, or worth attention. In that sense, the word functions as a boundary marker, separating meaningful work from digital noise.
Merriam-Webster’s lookup data reflects this behaviour. Users were not just encountering the word casually. They were actively searching for its meaning as it spread across tech discussions, social media, and commentary about AI.
A cultural signal, not a technical one
The selection of “slop” is less about artificial intelligence as a technology and more about how people experience its widespread use. It captures a collective mood rather than a specific innovation.
Language often adapts faster than regulation or etiquette. By the time a term reaches dictionary prominence, it usually means the behaviour it describes is already common. In this case, “slop” signals that users are becoming more selective and more vocal about content quality.
