Merriam-Webster selected “slop” as its 2025 Word of the Year, citing a surge in searches driven by the spread of low-quality, AI-generated content across social media and the broader internet. President Greg Barlow said the term encapsulates public frustration and skepticism over synthetic media—from manipulated celebrity clips to junky AI-written books—while reflecting hope for “things that are real” and “genuine.” The choice arrives amid mounting concerns about misinformation, deepfakes, and copyright risks as tools like OpenAI’s Sora accelerate content creation. Other high-lookup terms included “touch grass,” “gerrymander,” “tariffs,” and “conclave,” underscoring a year shaped by politics, tech disruption, and cultural angst.
Related articles:
— AI content supercharges confusion and spreads misleading information, critics warn
— NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework
