The cost of AI slop could cause a rethink that shakes the global economy in 2026

Revenues may be rising rapidly, but not by nearly enough to cover the wild levels of investment under way

The US dictionary Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2025 was slop", which it defines as digital content of low quality that is produced, usually in quantity, by means of artificial intelligence". The choice underlined the fact that while AI is being widely embraced, not least by corporate bosses keen to cut payroll costs, its downsides are also becoming obvious. In 2026, a reckoning with reality for AI represents a growing economic risk.

Ed Zitron, the foul-mouthed figurehead of AI scepticism, argues pretty convincingly that, as things stand, the unit economics" of the entire industry - the cost of servicing the requests of a single customer against the price companies are able to charge them - just don't add up. In typically colourful language, he calls them dogshit".