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Shashwat Ghosh
Shashwat Ghosh

Posted on • Originally published at shashwatgtm.github.io

Google Just Declared War on AI Slop: What Developers Need to Know

If you've been generating content with AI, Google's December 2025 Core Update just changed the rules.

The Numbers

  • 87% negative impact on mass-produced AI content
  • EEAT now mandatory for all competitive queries
  • Author credentials are "essentially mandatory"

What Changed

Google isn't penalizing AI content. They're penalizing lazy AI content.

The distinction matters.

Content without:

  • Verifiable author expertise
  • Original insights
  • Human editorial oversight

...is getting crushed.

The Technical Playbook

1. EEAT Signals

Every piece needs a credible author. Add schema markup with @type Person, name, jobTitle, and sameAs properties pointing to your LinkedIn and GitHub profiles.

2. LLM Accessibility

Structure content so AI systems can parse and cite it:

  • Schema.org markup
  • Clear heading hierarchy
  • Answer-first formatting
  • Speakable specifications

3. Topical Authority

Go deep, not wide. Google rewards expertise clusters over scattered keyword grabs.

The Bigger Picture

While Google reshapes content, the M&A market is reshaping infrastructure:

Deal Value Signal
Meta → Manus $2B AI agents
Nvidia → Groq $20B Inference > Training
ServiceNow → Armis $7.75B Security consolidation

Bottom Line

Human expert + AI still wins. Quality over quantity.

The hype is over. The work begins.


This is from Issue #6 of Offbeat AI Watch—fortnightly AI intelligence for B2B leaders.

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