AI can now write weblog posts, generate photos, narrate movies, and publish at a outstanding velocity. That’s how the web ended up with AI-written journey guides that say nothing helpful, weird YouTube movies about cats with soap-opera plotlines, and social media posts that sound informative however supply little substance.
This flood of low-quality content material has a reputation: AI slop. The time period has gained reputation as generative AI instruments make content material creation quicker, cheaper, and simpler to scale. While not all AI-generated materials is low-quality, AI slop refers to output that prioritizes quantity over worth. As the time period grew in reputation, folks began asking what AI slop really is and the place they see it on-line.
What folks imply by AI slop
“AI slop” refers to low-quality digital content material mass-produced by generative AI instruments. At first look, it typically seems polished or authoritative. However, upon nearer inspection, it normally lacks unique perception, dependable sourcing, or a transparent function. Instead of informing or entertaining, this content material typically goals to farm views, rank excessive in search outcomes, or generate promoting income.
The time period “AI slop” began circulating within the early 2020s and have become extra widely known between 2022 and 2023 as generative AI instruments turned extra accessible. It entered mainstream discourse in 2024, reflecting growing frustration with the quantity of low-value AI-generated materials on-line.
In 2025, Merriam-Webster’s editors selected “slop” because the Word of the Year, cementing its cultural relevance. The dictionary defines slop as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” This definition resonated with many web customers who felt overwhelmed by content material that appeared completed however supplied little substance.
How AI slop entered the mainstream
As the phrase gained reputation, main media shops started utilizing it to explain broader shifts in on-line content material. According to The Guardian, greater than 20% of the movies YouTube’s algorithm confirmed to new customers had been AI slop. The outlet cited the video modifying firm Kapwing, which surveyed 15,000 of the world’s hottest YouTube channels, together with the highest 100 in every nation.
Kapwing discovered that 278 of these channels consisted totally of AI slop. Together, that they had amassed greater than 63 billion views and 221 million subscribers, producing an estimated $117 million in annual income.
The Wall Street Journal warned readers that “AI slop is everywhere,” whereas acknowledging the odd attraction of some viral AI-generated animal movies. “Critics have accused both companies of contributing to a deluge of so-called AI slop swamping the internet and blurring lines between real and fake,” the publication famous.
Critics expressed concern that, regardless of built-in protections, the instruments could possibly be exploited to abuse customers’ likeness and unfold false data. Early viral content material from Sora, together with a deepfake of Sam Altman stealing a GPU from a retailer, illustrates these dangers.
AI slop within the wild
AI slop exhibits up throughout platforms and codecs, typically following acquainted patterns that make it straightforward to identify.
On YouTube and TikTok, AI-generated movies function speaking animals, melodramatic plotlines, and artificial narration, incessantly uploaded by channels publishing dozens of almost similar clips every day.
AI slop additionally seems in digital promoting, the place AI-generated photos present distorted palms, odd proportions, or nonsensical product settings. These adverts normally look polished at first look, however fall…
