AI Slop Happens. Now What?

In response to Merriam-Webster naming “AI slop” the Word of the Year for 2025, Artefact’s Neeti Sanyal and Jeff Turkelson led a webinar for designers and creative professionals exploring the growing impact of AI slop on our information economy, research and design practices, and workplace culture.

The webinar is divided into two parts. In the first, they define AI slop and examine its rapid proliferation across the internet. They unpack why it exists, how it spreads, and why it persists. Using examples from platforms such as Pinterest and Steam, they explore how companies are attempting to manage the flood of AI-generated content, and how, despite these efforts, AI slop contributes to a polluted information ecosystem and rising mistrust online.

The second half introduces a related phenomenon called “work slop”: low-quality outputs produced when AI tools are used without sufficient critical thinking or editorial judgment. Demonstrating AI tools like Google NotebookLM, slide deck generators, and Figma Make, they show how easily well-intentioned professionals can generate work that looks polished but lacks rigor. They argue that work slop not only lowers collective standards for quality, but can also erode trust in the people who produce it. Worse still, correcting sloppy AI output can create productivity setbacks, offsetting the efficiency gains AI promises.

They conclude with practical reflections on how individuals and teams can remain vigilant—adopting more intentional, critical approaches to AI use in order to mitigate its negative effects and preserve standards of quality in creative work.