Microsoft’s call to ditch “slop” sparks new meme trend: Microslop
Plus: Nicolás Maduro's tracksuit gets memed.
Greetings!
Here are the latest trending internet culture stories today:
Microsoft’s CEO complained about people calling AI “slop,” creating a classic Barbra Streisand effect and “Microslop” meme.
Speaking of AI slop, unwanted Christmas gifts that didn’t match what AI-generated ads promised are appearing in thrift stores.
The Nike tracksuit worn by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as he was taken to the United States has become the topic of internet memes.
Til next time,
— W.J.
⚡️ Today in Internet Culture
“Microslop” memes take over social media after Microsoft CEO pushes back on “the arguments of slop”
Microsoft spent years integrating its AI Copilot into Windows, Office, and other consumer products without the option to opt out. However, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella did not address those frustrations in a year-end post.
Instead, Nadella closed out the year with a blog post shared to LinkedIn titled “Looking Ahead to 2026,” focused fully on the alleged importance of AI for the future of technology. His post, however, had the inverse effect, causing folks on social media to create a new phrase in response: Microslop.
“AI slop gifts” are already showing up in thrift shops after fooling Christmas shoppers
In other AI slop news, gifts from companies that used AI to make them look much better than reality did are already appearing in thrift shops post-Christmas. These “AI slop gifts” arrived sometimes barely resembling what was in the AI-generated ad, and recipients apparently wasted no time dropping them off at Goodwill.
AI gifts were a huge issue this year, fooling older generations in droves.
“Today in late capitalism”: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s Nike tracksuit becomes a meme
Venezuela has been the center of attention for days after both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. troops on Saturday and transferred to New York, where they faced federal charges related to drug trafficking.
But on the internet, another area of interest took hold: Maduro’s outfit.
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🔥 Hot on the Dot
This was the most-read story on the Daily Dot yesterday: