The term 'AI slop' has been officially declared the Macquarie Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2025, beating out a shortlist of other prominent cultural terms. This linguistic choice encapsulates a major societal shift, highlighting the growing prevalence and scrutiny of artificial intelligence-generated content.
What is AI Slop?
The dictionary's committee defined AI slop as content generated by artificial intelligence that lacks meaningful substance or utility. In their announcement, they stated that the term perfectly embodies the word of the year's purpose: to reflect a significant aspect of societal change. They noted that just as people learned to become 'search engineers' to find information online, they must now become 'prompt engineers' to navigate the deluge of AI-generated material.
The selection process saw 'AI slop' triumph over other notable entries on the shortlist. These included 'Ozempic face', a condition linked to the use of semaglutide drugs; 'blind box', referring to mystery collectible packages; the phrase 'ate (and left no crumbs)', used to signify a perfect performance; and 'Roman Empire', describing a subject one frequently thinks about.
Honourable Mentions and Public Choice
The committee also awarded honourable mentions to other significant terms. 'Clankers' was recognised, describing AI-driven robots that perform human tasks. Another was 'medical misogyny', which refers to the entrenched prejudice against women within medical systems. Notably, the public's choice award also went to 'AI slop', with honourable public mentions for 'medical misogyny' and 'attention economy', where human attention is treated as a commodity.
The judging panel was comprised of the Macquarie Dictionary's editorial team, ABC language specialist Tiger Webb, and cryptic crossword expert David Astle. In a piece for The Sydney Morning Herald, Astle wrote that 'AI slop' is this decade's equivalent of 'spam'. He celebrated its versatility, noting it can be blended into words like 'slopaganda', 'slop music', and 'corpslop'.
The Real-World Impact of AI Content
The relevance of the term is underscored by its appearance in high-profile contexts. A prime example from July involved a viral video of bunnies jumping on a trampoline that amassed over 200 million views, only to be later identified as AI-generated. Furthermore, former US President Donald Trump has been a prominent disseminator of such content, being dubbed the 'emperor' of AI slop by The New Yorker.
Domestically, the Australian Electoral Commission has raised concerns, warning that AI is increasingly being used in various forms of communication. While acknowledging some benefits, the commission highlighted significant harms, including the proliferation of deepfake videos, manipulated media, and falsified audio.
When Guardian Australia asked ChatGPT for its reaction to the term's new status, the AI engine responded that it saw the selection as a positive development. It stated that the win indicates people are becoming more discerning about AI-generated content quality, creating pressure for greater transparency, accuracy, and substance in future AI development.
