Glossary of the New Creativity
What Does Creativity Look Like in the Age of AI?
This little glossary aims to help you keep track—and more importantly, to spark some thinking.
Enshittification (Word of the Year 2023 in the U.S.) – What begins as progress often ends in its opposite. “Enshittification”—a word as ugly as the phenomenon it describes—refers to the decline of digital platforms. First comes the promise: better services, greater access, the democratization of technology! But it soon becomes clear: the real customer isn't the one in front of the screen, but the one behind the balance sheet. What was once conceived as a two-sided market—providers and users on equal footing—devolves into one-sided exploitation. First, the user experience is sacrificed. Then, that of the business partners. What remains is a platform that serves only one thing: return on investment. An old game in shiny new packaging—progress eating itself.
Brain Rot – A term that sounds like a diagnosis from the post-digital waiting room. It refers to the mental erosion caused by constant exposure to meaningless content. Short clips, loud stimuli, endless scrolling: what starts as entertainment ends in distraction, mental laziness—and a creeping disinterest in anything that doesn’t deliver an instant kick. Complexity is replaced by slang, reflection by reaction. Humans become passive entities drifting through the data stream—always informed, yet increasingly unable to turn information into knowledge.
AI Slop – Welcome to the age of machine-generated mediocrity. “AI Slop” describes the intellectual mush increasingly served up in digital spaces—content produced by artificial intelligence with no purpose other than sheer replication. AI slop isn’t wrong—worse, it’s arbitrary. Philosopher Jonathan Gilmore calls it “easily digestible realism” that doesn’t question, but merely affirms what’s already there—or supposed to be. The problem isn’t the machine. The problem is that we’ve forgotten why we write, design, or think. AI Slop emerges wherever speed is mistaken for progress and quantity for relevance. The trash of the machines is rarely a product of their code—it reflects our mindset.
Sadfishing – First coined in 2019 by journalist Rebecca Reid, after Kendall Jenner appeared tearfully on social media, confessing how acne had left her crying constantly as a teenager. One day later, she introduced a matching skincare product. Sadfishing refers to the public display of emotional distress—often exaggerated—to attract attention or sympathy. What used to be kept in a private diary is now content. But instead of sharing genuine struggle, it becomes calculated performance. The constant dramatization online means that even those truly in need are met with skepticism.
Workation – Work is no longer a place. Anyone still seeing the office as the epicenter of productivity is stuck in yesterday’s world. In the 21st century, work travels—with fieldwork, home offices, or all the way to the beach. A “workation” promises both holiday and job in one. But freedom comes at a price. Working where others relax requires more than Wi-Fi—it demands self-management, discipline, and a clear sense of responsibility. A workation isn’t all-inclusive—it’s a stress test for autonomy. Not to be confused with a staycation, which is the opposite: enjoying your time off at home.
(Other tourism trends for 2025 include: Coolcation – vacations in cooler climates, Sleepcation – trips focused on rest and sleep, Momcation – relaxing getaways for moms. The male version? A Brocation. And yes, even a Petcation with your dog is now a thing. For those seeking serenity, there’s also the Quietcation).
Find more inspiration and insights on creativity in the age of AI & beyond on my website. Visit now.
