Cleaning up the Slop: Will Backlash to “AI Slop” Increase This Year?

In December 2025, Merriam-Webster Dictionary named “slop” the word of the year, affirming the cultural influence that artificial intelligence has grown to have. However, the negative connotation of “slop” is also evidence of the fact that the tides have turned against AI, with public perception of the technology becoming largely negative.

But what distinguishes AI slop from other content that is created using AI or with some sort of AI assistance? Merriam-Webster defines “slop” as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” In other words, there are three key characteristics that establish something as slop: poor quality, quick production, and creation using artificial intelligence.

Unfortunately, most marketing content that uses AI exhibits all three characteristics.

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How AI slop has been used in marketing

Despite the criticism AI-generated content has received, many brands still continue to use it. Why? The simple answer is efficiency.

Artificial intelligence allows brands to reach a virtually unparalleled level of efficiency in their marketing efforts. However, this mindset emphasizes quantity over quality, which tends to backfire on these businesses.

There are quite a few specific use cases that brands have seen for artificial intelligence in marketing. Some of the most common include:

• Social media content: Many social media platforms have started to require users and brands to flag when their content or advertisements are created with AI, and the number of those who do is staggering. Statistics show that 85% of brands report using AI in social media advertising. Brands that have been called out for poor AI-generated social media content have suffered reputational damage.

• Visuals: Some brands have also begun using AI to generate visual marketing materials instead of hiring human graphic designers and photographers. But this can create imagery with distorted features that is inaccurate and untrustworthy.

• Product descriptions: One of the most common uses of AI in marketing is to generate product descriptions for listings on Google or Amazon. However, this can become “slop” when the AI hallucinates, adding inaccurate details that could potentially mislead consumers.

• SEO Content: Marketers have also begun using artificial intelligence to generate low-quality SEO content, such as articles and web pages, to improve their rankings on search engines. Yet, this content lacks human insight and provides little genuine value to consumers.

However, the consumer reaction to this AI-generated marketing material has largely been negative, especially from younger audiences. According to a survey conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, less than half of Gen Z and millennial consumers felt very or somewhat positive about AI-generated advertisements, while a majority felt either neutral or very or somewhat negative.

To consumers, AI-generated ads come off as lazy, low-effort, and often weird — and “weird” is the worst way a marketing campaign can be received. It’s an immediate turnoff for Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers.

But why is this widespread rejection of AI slop happening when Gen Z and Gen Alpha are embracing artificial intelligence technologies for use cases like school and work? The simple answer is that when it comes to marketing, younger generations value authenticity over anything else, which is inherently tied to how Gen Z and Gen Alpha create and consume content. Younger generations have moved away from highly polished posts and gravitated towards raw, unfiltered content that feels more “real.”

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How brands can and cannot use AI in marketing if they want to connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha

So what does this mean for brands? Brands that have used artificial intelligence in the past or plan to use it in the future must carefully weigh not only whether to use the technology but also the ways in which they intend to use it. Although there are still some ways companies could feasibly use artificial intelligence in their marketing strategies, several factors must be considered, including their visibility and the quality of their output.

Brands will likely back away from AI in the public sphere due to the increasing amount of public backlash that it receives. Final deliverables and marketing materials will likely not be produced by AI because consumers will reject them. In some cases, brands that use AI-generated content for their advertisements have faced‌ widespread criticism, and in some cases, even calls for boycotts led by younger consumers.

This avoidance of AI-generated marketing materials is particularly likely and important for brands that revolve around humans in a literal sense. Brands like skincare companies and those that create beauty products must highlight the human applications of their products for their marketing to be successful. If one of these brands attempts to use AI to illustrate how their product is used and its effects, the result will feel entirely inauthentic and unbelievable to consumers.

However, that’s not to say that brands and marketers won’t (or can’t) use artificial intelligence at all — it’s just that the use cases of artificial intelligence in marketing will be largely behind the scenes. Marketing teams can still use AI to enhance operations. For instance, tasks such as brainstorming, script writing, organization, and other “busy work” can be automated using artificial intelligence. Because these tasks are not outwardly visible to consumers, they are less likely to be subject to public scrutiny, but they can still help improve efficiency and productivity.

All of this may leave brands wondering what they should do. Ultimately, young consumers want to see brands build unique identities. They don’t want to see brands using AI to create marketing materials that are derived from every successful marketing campaign of the past few decades — trust is built on originality. Marketers who want to win over Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers would be wise to pursue methods like community-focused campaigns and leveraging events, influencers, and interactive experiences to form an authentic connection.

While artificial intelligence may offer marketing teams the promise of innovation and greater productivity, it also brings with it potential consequences for their public image, particularly among younger consumers who treat AI with a greater level of scrutiny. As with anything in marketing, understanding how to effectively use AI in your campaigns (and if you should even use it in the first place) comes down to understanding the unique needs and interests of your audience.