2025 was the year AI slop went mainstream. Is the internet ready to grow up now?

lastmansurfing
Jan 1
1 min read

From aggressive AI chatbots to nonsensical e-commerce product summaries, “AI slop” really hit its stride in 2025, polluting search engines, shopping platforms, and even the White House’s official communications channels.

The term, which defines low-quality and generally unwanted AI-generated content, has been circulating online since the early 2020s, but data shows it reached a new peak this year.

Online media, social, and consumer intelligence company Meltwater found that in 2025, mentions of “AI slop” across the Internet increased ninefold from 2024, with negative sentiment hitting a high of 54 per cent in October.