Slop, storytelling, and the architects of AI

Merriam-Webster officially named “slop” their word of the year. We’ve seen a few different words of the year floating around, depending on the dictionary— “67” from Dictionary.com and “rage bait” from the Oxford University Press. All of these words are truly indicative of our collective attitude towards content and the role that it’s played in 2025. Merriam-Webster's selection of “slop” reflects the prevalence of AI-generated content that has plagued our feeds this year. But perhaps maybe this is a sign that we need to move away from the slop, rage bait, and brainrot content in 2026 towards something with more meaning and substance?

If you work in content, PR, or marketing, chances are you’ve seen this article from the Wall Street Journal pop up once on your feed in the last week. We’ve seen an increase in tech companies hiring “storytelling” or “editorial” roles over the last few months. This comes as we’ve entered a SaaS bubble (especially AI companies), making it harder to stand out with features and benefits alone. And with lowered consumer trust, companies need a way to reconnect with their audience humanly, cutting through AI-generated content. Hence, storytelling. It’s no longer just about creating content for the sake of creating content, but about creating content that moves audiences and sells them on ideas bigger than just products, fueling brand growth. 

Award-winning photographer Christopher Anderson has been under scrutiny for his photos in a Vanity Fair feature chronicling the first year of the second Trump administration. The photos feature close-ups of prominent White House figures, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Much of the backlash has been calling these photos “diabolical,” “done dirty,” and “crazy.” Anderson describes the portraiture as a “penetration into political theater” and showcases the administration's transparency. We often forget that photojournalism is a form of journalism, and that a picture is worth a thousand words. 

It should come as no surprise that Time named “The Architects of AI” its Person of the Year for 2025, featuring figures like Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, and Elon Musk. The AI boom has influenced so much more than just technology; it has influenced culture as a whole. The words of the year, as well as Pantone’s color of the year for 2026, reflect the chokehold that AI has on us at this point. But as the AI novelty wears off and it becomes normalized and mainstream, we’re starting to see the pendulum swing back to bring back humanity, namely in creativity and connection.

I saw a video that said VCs are starting to fund creators over founders. The main reason? Product-market fit. Creators are tapping into their audiences to ask what they want to build, and then they build it, rather than founders who build software that doesn’t have solid product-market fit. Instead of going from hypothesis→build→ser acquisition, creators are building audiences, providing information, and getting information in real time. So, for little to no cost, creators can validate their idea before it even gets funded or launched, much faster than traditional startup founders—all because of their audience.

What’s caught your attention online this week? Reply to this email and let me know!