The year 2025 concludes with artificial intelligence dominating headlines, as Merriam-Webster names "slop" its Word of the Year on December 14th or 15th. Merriam-Webster President Greg Barlow highlighted this term, defined as low-quality digital content generated in large amounts by AI, reflecting a public desire for genuine content. Examples include fake news, strange ads, and AI-written books and videos. This announcement coincides with a recent CNBC survey indicating a slight decrease in the use of AI platforms like ChatGPT, suggesting growing public awareness and perhaps skepticism about AI-generated material. Regulatory bodies and healthcare providers are actively responding to AI's expanding role. In New Hampshire, State Representative Alicia Gregg filed House Bill 1406 on December 15, 2025, to prevent insurers from using AI to override doctors' decisions on patient care, while allowing AI for fraud checks with strict oversight. Concurrently, Texas is set to join the new Medicare pilot program WISeR (Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction) on January 1, 2026. This Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initiative uses AI to review patient service requests, aiming to reduce fraud in 14 healthcare services. However, Texas Medical Association President Dr. Jayesh Shah and other medical professionals express concerns that WISeR could delay patient care and increase physician workloads. Beyond regulation, the integration of AI continues across various sectors. On December 15, 2025, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI, and Australian Cyber Security Centre released new guidance for critical infrastructure owners on safely integrating AI into Operational Technology systems. Mastercard's Deputy Chief Security Officer, Dr. Alissa Abdullah, also noted AI's rapid transformation of both cybercrime and cybersecurity, posing significant challenges for businesses. In the financial and media industries, AI adoption is accelerating. Arcesium launched new AI features for its Aquata data platform on December 15, 2025, in New York, providing institutional investors like hedge funds with tools for automated workflows and advanced predictions. Meanwhile, media agencies are testing new AI tools for planning and buying; Butler/Till, for instance, partners with Scope3 using an AI agent built on Anthropic's Claude model, aiming to cut costs by 40 percent. Other companies like Yahoo and Microsoft are also developing similar AI solutions, with broader adoption anticipated in 2026. Despite these advancements, financial analyst Kyle Rodda from Capital.com observed on December 15, 2025, that fears of an "AI bubble" are hindering a stock market "Santa Rally." Investor concerns persist regarding AI's actual economic benefits and its ability to deliver on promises of increased worker productivity, even after the Federal Reserve's third interest rate cut. Addressing content creation and monetization, Creative Commons cautiously supports AI "pay-to-crawl" systems, which could allow websites to earn revenue when AI models utilize their content, a crucial development as AI chatbots reduce direct site traffic. Finally, Udemy announced on December 15, 2025, that it will launch AI-powered microlearning in 2026, transforming long video courses into short, interactive lessons, further demonstrating AI's pervasive influence on education.
Key Takeaways
- Merriam-Webster named "slop" its 2025 Word of the Year on December 14/15, 2025, defining it as low-quality AI-generated digital content, reflecting public desire for genuine content.
- A CNBC survey indicated a slight decrease in people using AI platforms like ChatGPT, coinciding with the "slop" announcement.
- New Hampshire State Representative Alicia Gregg filed bills on December 15, 2025, to prevent insurers from using AI to override doctors' decisions and mandate equal pay for telemedicine services.
- Texas will join the Medicare WISeR program on January 1, 2026, using AI to reduce fraud in 14 healthcare services, though the Texas Medical Association expresses concerns about patient care delays.
- CISA, FBI, and the Australian Cyber Security Centre released cybersecurity guidance on December 15, 2025, for critical infrastructure to safely integrate AI into Operational Technology systems.
- Mastercard's Deputy Chief Security Officer, Dr. Alissa Abdullah, highlighted on December 15, 2025, that AI is rapidly transforming both cybercrime and cybersecurity, creating challenges for businesses.
- Arcesium launched new AI features for its Aquata data platform on December 15, 2025, to help institutional investors improve AI strategies and data analysis.
- Media agencies began testing AI tools on December 15, 2025, with Butler/Till using an Anthropic Claude-based agent to cut media activation costs by 40%, and other firms like Omnicom, Kinesso, Yahoo, and Microsoft developing similar solutions.
- Fears of an "AI bubble" are preventing a stock market "Santa Rally," as financial analyst Kyle Rodda noted on December 15, 2025, despite Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.
- Creative Commons cautiously supports AI "pay-to-crawl" systems to help websites monetize content used by AI models, while Udemy announced AI-powered microlearning for 2026 to personalize education.
Merriam-Webster Names AI Slop 2025 Word of the Year
Merriam-Webster announced "slop" as its 2025 word of the year on December 15, 2025. This term describes low-quality digital content created in large amounts by artificial intelligence. Merriam-Webster President Greg Barlow noted the word reflects a public desire for genuine content. Examples of "slop" include fake news, strange ads, and AI-written books. The word's selection highlights growing awareness of misleading AI-generated content online.
Merriam-Webster Chooses Slop as 2025 Word of Year
Merriam-Webster named "slop" its 2025 word of the year on Monday, December 15, reflecting growing concerns about artificial intelligence. The dictionary defines "slop" as low-quality digital content produced in large amounts by AI. Social media platforms have seen a surge of such content, including AI-generated videos. A recent CNBC survey also showed a slight decrease in people using AI platforms like ChatGPT.
Merriam-Webster Names Slop 2025 Word of the Year
Merriam-Webster announced "slop" as its 2025 Word of the Year on Sunday, December 14, highlighting the rise of low-quality AI-generated content. Merriam-Webster president Greg Barlow stated the word shows people are more aware of fake content online. The dictionary defines "slop" as digital content of little value created by AI. This includes AI-generated videos, fake news, and even "workslop" reports. While some AI content can be good, "slop" specifically refers to the unwanted and unpleasant output.
New Hampshire Bills Regulate AI and Telemedicine in Insurance
New Hampshire State Representative Alicia Gregg filed two bills on December 15, 2025, to address health insurance. House Bill 1406 aims to stop insurers from using AI to override doctors' decisions on patient care. It allows AI for fraud checks but requires record-keeping and audits by the New Hampshire Insurance Department. House Bill 1232 mandates that insurers pay healthcare providers the same amount for telemedicine services as for in-person visits. Both bills seek to improve patient access and fairness in the healthcare system and would take effect in January 2027 if passed.
Texas Joins New AI Medicare Program WISeR
Texas will join a new Medicare pilot program called Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction, or WISeR, starting January 1, 2026. This program, from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, will use artificial intelligence to review patient service requests. Its goal is to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse in 14 specific healthcare services. However, Texas Medical Association President Dr. Jayesh Shah and other doctors worry the program could delay patient care and increase workloads for physicians. The WISeR program is set to run until December 31, 2031.
CISA Releases AI Security Guide for Critical Infrastructure
On December 15, 2025, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, FBI, and Australian Cyber Security Centre released new cybersecurity guidance. This guidance helps critical infrastructure owners safely integrate AI into their Operational Technology systems. It outlines four main principles, including understanding AI risks and establishing strong governance frameworks. The agencies encourage operators to follow this advice for a balanced approach to AI integration. This guidance applies to machine learning, large language models, and other AI systems.
Arcesium Adds New AI Tools to Aquata Platform
Arcesium launched a new set of AI features for its Aquata data platform on December 15, 2025, in New York. These tools help institutional investors like hedge funds improve their AI strategies and analyze more data. Key features include automated workflows, better data integration, advanced predictions, and smart insights. Arcesium CEO Gaurav Suri emphasized that AI is now essential for the financial industry. The Aquata platform allows users to customize AI solutions easily, helping firms become more efficient and find new investment opportunities.
AI Bubble Fears Slow Stock Market Santa Rally
Financial analyst Kyle Rodda from Capital.com stated on December 15, 2025, that fears of an AI bubble are preventing a "Santa Rally" in the stock market. Despite the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates for the third time, investor concerns about AI's actual economic benefits are holding back growth. Rodda questions whether AI will truly deliver on promises of increased worker productivity. On Monday, major indexes like the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 saw slight drops.
Mastercard Security Officer Discusses AI and Cybersecurity
On December 15, 2025, Dr. Alissa Abdullah, Mastercard's Deputy Chief Security Officer, shared her insights on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. She noted that AI is quickly changing both cybercrime and cybersecurity, making it challenging for businesses and individuals to keep up. Dr. Abdullah discussed the past, present, and future of these topics in a new video series. She also spoke at the Cybercrime Magazine Global Summit about "The Future of Cybersecurity with AI."
Creative Commons Supports AI Pay-to-Crawl Systems
On December 15, 2025, Creative Commons announced its cautious support for AI "pay-to-crawl" systems. This new approach could help websites earn money when AI models use their content, which is important as AI chatbots reduce direct traffic to sites. Creative Commons believes this system could help creators keep content publicly available. However, the organization also raised concerns about power becoming too centralized and blocking access for public interest groups. Creative Commons proposed several principles for responsible implementation, including ensuring open standards and preserving access for researchers.
Media Agencies Test AI Tools for Planning and Buying
On December 15, 2025, media agencies began testing new AI tools for both media planning and buying. Butler/Till, for example, is partnering with Scope3 to use an AI agent built on Anthropic's Claude model for media activation. This system aims to reduce costs by 40 percent by cutting out ad tech middlemen. Other agencies like Omnicom and Kinesso are testing planning agents from Equativ, which can reduce planning time by up to 40 percent. Companies like Yahoo and Microsoft are also developing similar AI solutions, with more widespread adoption expected in 2026.
Udemy to Launch AI Microlearning in 2026
On December 15, 2025, Udemy announced it will launch AI-powered microlearning across its platform in 2026. This new feature will turn long video courses into short, interactive lessons, optimized for mobile and desktop. Instructors will use AI tools to create and approve this content, ensuring high quality. Udemy AI Microlearning aims to provide personalized learning experiences by adapting to each student's progress and context. This initiative will also create new opportunities for both existing and new instructors on the platform.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2025 is AI 'slop'
- Merriam-Webster declares 'slop' its word of the year in nod to growth of AI
- Merriam-Webster’s word of the year delivers a dismissive verdict on junk AI content
- Bills seek to promote telemedicine and regulate AI in New Hampshire’s health insurance industry
- New AI Medicare program to review patient services in Texas; doctors have concerns
- CISA Unveils 4 Principles for the Secure Integration of AI in Operational Technology
- Arcesium Unveils New Suite of AI Features in Aquata® to Help Institutional Investors Scale Their AI Strategies
- AI bubble fears are holding back 'Santa Rally' in stocks: analyst
- Mastercard's Deputy Chief Security Officer Alissa (Dr Jay) Abdullah, PhD on AI & Cybersecurity
- Creative Commons announces tentative support for AI 'pay-to-crawl' systems
- Media agencies test AI planning agents, while edging toward buying tools
- Udemy (Nasdaq: UDMY) to roll out AI microlearning across platform in 2026
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