This year’s word of the year — slop — has been chosen as shorthand for a growing problem: the flood of low-quality content produced by artificial intelligence. The choice captures more than a definition. It signals how language and business practices are responding to the rise of automated text generation.
What “slop” means now
Traditionally, slop described messy leftovers or pig feed. In 2025, it’s being used more often to describe content that’s dull, shallow, or clearly mass-produced by algorithms. The word points to content that looks complete on the surface but lacks originality, accuracy, or usefulness.
Why it matters for business
Companies rely on content to build trust, attract customers, and rank in search engines. When teams publish large volumes of AI-generated material without strong oversight, the result can be:
- Damaged brand credibility — Customers notice shallow or incorrect content and may lose trust.
- Poor SEO performance — Search engines increasingly favor quality and relevance. Predictable, repetitive content can underperform or be demoted.
- Higher compliance risk — Errors in claims, product descriptions, or legal language can create regulatory trouble.
- Wasted resources — Time spent generating “slop” still needs editing or rework, negating the speed advantage of automation.
How to spot AI “slop”
Not all AI-assisted content is low quality. But these signs often indicate trouble:
- Shallow coverage that repeats common facts without new perspective.
- Lack of sources, citations, or verifiable data.
- Generic headlines and lead paragraphs that could describe many topics.
- Odd factual errors, inconsistent details, or unrealistic quotes.
- A robotic tone that feels detached from a real customer or human voice.
Practical steps to avoid producing slop
Businesses can keep AI tools from lowering content quality by combining automation with human judgment. Key practices include:
- Define quality standards: Create checklists for factual accuracy, sourcing, and originality before publishing.
- Use humans for editorial oversight: Assign experts to review, fact-check, and add real insights or anecdotes.
- Limit blind automation: Treat AI as a first draft generator, not a final author.
- Train models on trusted data: Avoid feeding systems low-quality inputs that reinforce shallow output.
- Measure outcomes: Track engagement, bounce rates, and conversion to detect underperforming content.
Industry shifts and policy signals
The rise of the term reflects broader demand for transparency and standards. Stakeholders are calling for clearer labeling of AI-generated material, better detection tools, and ethical guidelines that protect consumers and preserve information quality. For businesses, staying ahead of these trends means adopting policies that balance innovation with responsibility.
Language and culture: why word choices matter
Picking slop as a word of the year highlights how language adapts to technology. A simple, evocative term can capture public concern and shape behavior. For marketers, communicators, and leaders, that choice is a reminder: words influence perception. Choosing accurate, thoughtful language in content is part of rebuilding trust.
A final thought
Artificial intelligence will continue to speed content production, but speed alone isn’t value. The popularity of slop as a descriptor is a wake-up call for businesses to prioritize quality, context, and human oversight. Good content remains a competitive advantage — if companies resist the easy path of quantity over substance.