Adopting artificial intelligence is one thing, but handing your employees AI “workslop” could damage trust in the workplace. There’s a trust crisis that has been growing at work, particularly due to the rise of AI, where employers and employees no longer have faith in the abilities and intentions of the other. Matters grow more complex when leaders give workers low-quality AI-generated work that is insubstantial, resulting in an undue amount of strain on their trust. This is an unsurprising dynamic, as poor quality material results in more work towards fixing the errors that exist in the data, and an employer’s willingness to rely on such “workslop” further brings their commitment to quality and authenticity into question.
Leaders found using AI workslop are at risk of damaging employee trust in the workplace, painting the company standards in a poor light. (Image: Pexels)
Leaders Who Rely on AI “Workslop” Risk Damage to Workplace Trust: Consider Caution
A new report from Zety just investigated attitudes towards AI use in the workplace, and it found that workers are increasingly seeing leaders rely on AI-generated workslop or material that “looks polished but lacks accuracy, substance, or proper review.” Over half of U.S. workers state that they have been given poor quality AI-generated material by their managers and supervisors, with 85% adding that it affects their trust in their leadership.
About 45% of employees also stated that seeing this workslop has made them more cautious about the technology overall. Seventy-four percent added that receiving AI-generated work diminished their overall trust in the quality of the work shared by the sender, which is primarily why there is such strong sentiment around AI. When poor quality work done by the tools available is shared so openly, it often suggests that the sender is unconcerned with quality in their work overall.
Particularly when managers and leaders are found using AI workslop, it tells employees the organization isn’t particularly about maintaining high standards of work. This, in turn, likely causes employees to lose trust in other areas of the leader’s capabilities. In a world where work is being increasingly replaced by AI, employees are also growing more open to the idea of seeing leadership being replaced by AI, and with AI workslop damaging workplace trust, this lack of faith in leadership is only likely to grow stronger.
AI Has a Role to Play At Work, But Training and Planning Are Essential Considerations
Employees who see leaders using AI workslop are likely to turn to the technology themselves and churn out similar quality of work. Over time, when projects and strategies are repeatedly built on flawed, poor-quality data, the business will start to suffer. Blocking off the use of AI at work may ultimately be detrimental to the business, but if the technology is to be utilized successfully, ensuring that employees and leaders are sufficiently trained to do so is an unavoidable step in the process.
Only 31% of Zety’s respondents reported receiving detailed training and support at work. Meanwhile, 45% claimed they had only received limited guidance, whereas 24% stated they had received no training at all. The lack of training or clarity on how to correctly approach AI only serves to cause low-quality AI output to further damage the workplace. It ultimately increases the time, energy, and expenses necessary to redo the work and undo the consequences of sloppy work.
Setting clear quality standards around AI usage and giving employees the skills and tools they need to navigate and verify AI-generated content is a vital step in the adoption of this technology. Leading by example is the best way to train employees, and leaders who take accountability for their work are the ones who can best train the workforce into adopting AI correctly.
Have you similarly experienced leaders using low-quality AI-generated material at work? Share your experience with us and tell us how it impacted your trust in their capabilities. Subscribe to The HR Digest for more insights on workplace trends, layoffs, and what to expect with the advent of AI.
