What is AI Slop? How Brands Can Overcome Sloppy Content

The internet’s filling up with “slop.”

Brands are posting recycled memes, creators are defending their work as original, and artists are tagging posts as “not AI” just to prove they’re human. Every day users are starting to question the content on their feeds. 

Shorthand for low-effort, often machine-generated content, the term “slop” has boomed in popularity alongside the advent of AI-made social media content. And audiences don’t like it. 

So, what does the rise in slop mean for brands trying to stay trusted on social? And how can marketers rise above increased consumer suspicion? Let’s find out. 

Wait, what is AI slop?

Online mentions of slop grew by more than 200% in 2025 – jumping 40% in October alone as social media users call out lazy marketing, low-effort videos, bad art, and overly generic content more frequently. 

Frustrations are growing over the dilution of quality content. People are talking about feeds littered with excessive ads and irrelevant posts that overshadow genuine, human-made content. And the mood is sour: 82% of sentiment-categorized slop mentions are negative.  

Originally, slop referred to the liquid leftovers fed to farm animals. Fast-forward to today, and the term’s taken on a new life. It first described AI-generated content – bland, mass-produced posts churned out by large language models. But now, it’s used more broadly to describe anything that feels low-effort or soulless.  

In short, slop is now a cultural critique of content that doesn’t add value. Let’s dive into the consequences of creating slop. 

The slop rebellion

The internet’s attention has hit a turning point. Like we saw with deinfluencing, the slop trend reflects deeper consumer fatigue and skepticism toward what they see online. 

One common consumer frustration? That slop is a waste of time. Users report feeling like their feeds are flooded with repetitive, meaningless posts that add little value or joy. 

Backlash is particularly strong in creative communities. Conversations about slop in art and culture surged 125% in 2025. Audiences are quick to reject work that feels soulless, especially when they suspect that humans had little to no part in the creation process. 

The rise of digital detoxing is also a factor, as people actively seek healthier online experiences. Mentions of ‘digital detoxing’ are up 10%, showing that users are curating their feeds more carefully and looking for more valuable interactions with the accounts they follow. 

And people aren’t just annoyed by sloppy content – they’re actively avoiding it. Whether it's scrolling past, blocking, or even calling out videos that “look like AI,” consumers are showing that they want the content on their feeds to have soul. Some creators are even adding caveats to their captions, tagging posts as “not AI” to reassure their followers. 

Slop is now synonymous with “digital spam.” For brands, this all presents a challenge: how can you create content that actually stands for something? 

How to avoid the slop trap

Marketers can't escape the reality: not all slop comes from AI. Some comes from humans taking shortcuts, whether it’s rushed posts, recycled ideas, or campaigns made with limited customer connection. 

So, how can you make sure your content doesn’t just add to the noise? Here’s a quick framework to follow that we’ve dubbed ‘The Slop Test.’ 

Ask yourself a few questions before you hit publish: 

1. Would someone share this, or just scroll past it? If your post doesn’t spark emotion, offer new insight, or evoke genuine emotion – it could fall into the slop bucket. 
2. Could any other brand have posted this? Assess whether the content could have been made by a different brand in your industry – or worse, any industry. Does it show specific expertise that only your brand can offer? Make sure your content feels unmistakably yours. 
3. Is the effort you’ve put into this content visible? People reward content made with care. From strong creative to thoughtful replies, clear and human-first production is the perfect antidote to slop. 

As we’ve seen, audiences are craving content with soul. Brands need to lead with originality – while straying away from volume for volume’s sake. In an era of AI saturation, people care about quality over quantity.  

And if you do use AI, make sure to be upfront about it. Don't just say ‘we use AI’ – explain how. Saying: ‘AI helped, but our team refined it’ is far more credible than vague honesty attempts. Consumers aren’t anti-AI, they’re pro-honesty. So be transparent about how you use it to build confidence. 

Remember, the antidote to slop – AI or otherwise – is a little more humanity. And the smartest brands know that authenticity isn't optional. 

TL;DR

The internet’s drowning in slop, and people have had enough. Audiences don’t want more content; they want better content. Our new Slop Test gives marketers a quick way to check whether their work adds value or just adds to the noise. 

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