"Subpar material produced by generative AI, frequently filled with inaccuracies, and not something the user requested. "
This is the formal description of "AI slop," which has just been chosen as the 2025 word of the year by Macquarie Dictionary through both an official committee and a public vote as part of the people's choice award.
The Australian English dictionary indicates that its word of the year often mirrors cultural shifts, mentioning that while AI has existed for some time, its impact on individuals' lives is now more pronounced.
Content produced by AI is inexpensive and can quickly catch on when shared across social media platforms – even if it is considered "slop. "
Earlier this year, its spread on Reddit was brought to attention when a viral post about an affair was discovered to likely have been created by AI, with one study suggesting that over half of the longer posts in English on LinkedIn are generated by AI.
An article from The Conversation suggested that AI-generated slop is merely one aspect of the "enshittification" of the internet – another term that might have been a strong contender for word of the year.
"We now recognize in 2025 what is meant by slop – AI-created slop that lacks substantial content or purpose," stated the committee for the word of the year at Macquarie Dictionary.
In recent times, we’ve adapted to becoming search engineers to discover relevant information; now, we must turn into prompt engineers to sift through the AI mess.
This mess is poised to become a well-established term in English for the foreseeable future. The real question is whether those who consume and repeat this information will ultimately be referred to as AI sloppers.
The Macquarie word of the year announcement follows closely behind the Cambridge Dictionary's choice for 2025: “parasocial. ”
This term refers to the bond someone forms with a public figure they see in media but don't personally know, like Taylor Swift and her fiancé, NFL player Travis Kelce. Similar to AI mess, parasocial is thought to embody the essence of 2025 and is intricately connected to the alternate realities found online.
The committee responsible for selecting Macquarie’s word of the year, which includes members from the dictionary's editorial team, alongside crossword creator, radio personality, and author David Astle, as well as ABC language researcher Tiger Webb, presented two “honourable mentions” from their final list, the first of which is derived from the realm of AI as well.
“Clanker” refers to a robot that operates using artificial intelligence to accomplish tasks typically handled by people. Its popularity grew through the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–14).
“The committee stated that over the past year, we have all had to navigate through interactions with a clanker just to reach an actual individual. ”
“The emergence of such negative terminology to depict these AI services illustrates our annoyance and discontent. ”
Another notable mention was “medical misogyny,” a phrase that addresses the deep-seated bias against women within the healthcare system, particularly regarding reproductive health.
Several national studies conducted in the last two years have highlighted the issue of medical misogyny, revealing that two-thirds of women experienced bias and discrimination related to healthcare.
Each year, editors of the Macquarie Dictionary compile an extensive list of words from thirteen different categories before narrowing it down to a selection from which the word of the year is determined.
Additional words that made the 2025 shortlist included:
Ate (and left no crumbs): To accomplish something with perfect skill.
Attention economy: An economic model where human attention is valued as a significant resource, mainly in the context of advertising.
Australian sushi: A type of sushi characterized by thick, uncut rolls where nori surrounds the filling, frequently featuring non-traditional ingredients.
BAL rating: A method for evaluating a structure's risk of being affected by ember attack, radiant heat, and direct flames during a bushfire.
Bathroom camping: The practice of retreating to a bathroom or its stall for a designated time.
Bird-dogging: The act of approaching a politician at a public gathering and posing pointed questions or raising issues.
Blind box: A variety of mystery package that contains an unknown collectible toy or figure.
Femgore: A niche of horror featuring female leads who have control over the storyline.
Ozempic face: A physical condition associated with the use of the weight-loss medication Ozempic.
Quadball: The updated title for the sport of real-life quidditch.
Roman Empire: Any myriad of topics, events, or interests that regularly occupy one’s thoughts, especially those deemed unusual.
Six-Seven: A meaningless phrase often accompanied by a specific hand gesture. (Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan caused a sensation when she utilized this term during a public announcement last month. )
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