A lot hinges on the effective utilization of artificial intelligence, and yet, the quality of the technology and the mode of its use in the workplace is causing more damage than businesses might have expected. Researchers from Stanford’s Social Media Lab and BetterUp just released a report on the impact of AI “workslop” on productivity and performance, and the results are alarming. Defining AI-generated workslop in simple terms, the report laid it out as “work content that masquerades as good work, but lacks the substance to meaningfully advance a given task.”
Workers, for their part, know exactly what the term means, having been instructed to optimize AI in the workplace by any means necessary. Some have found useful ways to employ this technology, improving on their own expertise with AI resources. For others, it’s a matter of further simplifying simple tasks to ensure there is some evidence of their mastery of AI. With promotions now hinging on AI use, it is unsurprising that we are witnessing poor quality of work being churned out simply for the purpose of meeting an abstract target.
AI workslop isn’t just affecting productivity and destroying teams; it’s costing your organization millions to keep up with low-quality work. (Image: Pexels)
AI “Workslop” is Affecting Productivity and Limiting Teams from Reaching Their Full Potential
Over the last few years, we have grown comfortable with criticizing students for using AI in their assignments. Many generate reports and papers that have a lot to say without necessarily saying much of relevance. “How will they ever learn anything or apply any of their education when it’s time to start working?” we asked. The question still remains a valid one. And yet, AI use in the workplace is now being encouraged by employers, with the hopes that employees will land on a use case that can benefit the organization at large.
With the growing use of AI in the workplace, there are beneficial results that emerge from the employment of this technology. From generating innovative business pitches to simplifying complex chunks of data, there are a lot of ways that AI is improving the workplace. On the flip side, there is also considerable AI-generated work that appears passable on the surface, but adds no value to the work being done at the organization.
This gives rise to the AI productivity paradox within the workplace. AI is simplifying work, but it is also diluting the quality of the work, resulting in additional hours spent on fixing the work that has been produced. Time saved is time gained, but unfortunately, it is also time wasted again.
AI Workslop Could Cost Businesses $9 Million Annually
According to the research by BetterUp Labs and Stanford Social Media Lab, 40% of US desk workers reported receiving AI slop in the last month. This results in an average time of 2 hours to resolve the incident, with a $186 monthly cost per employee caused by these incidents. The numbers don’t stop there. For a 10,000-person company, this can lead to an annual cost of $9 million in wasted expenses.
Teams are expending energy on addressing, understanding, and improving AI content. The illusion of productivity lasts briefly before frustrated employees then get to work on duplicating efforts to redo tasks that has already been done. But how is this workslop destroying teams?
Not only does this AI workslop impair productivity, it is also causing employees to look at their colleagues differently. Many workers start to see their colleagues as less creative, capable, reliable, trustworthy, and intelligent. The ability to generate content instead of creating it is making many lazier and sloppier about their work, and not only is this hurting individual performance, but it’s also affecting the relationships between workers who feel frustrated by this divided approach to work.
Tackling AI Workslop Is an HR Responsibility
If this workslop is costing your business $9 million in expenses, there is a definite reason for your organization to take this problem seriously. Even without these mounting costs, the use of AI as a solution instead of a tool may lead your organization to fall victim to numerous other issues, from a rise in lazy work to a decline in creativity.
Setting guardrails in place for AI use is not just a matter for the tech team but an HR responsibility. It requires productive discussions with managers and leaders to understand where to draw the line.
From bad code to uninformative project guidelines, there are many ways in which AI-generated workslop could hold your organization back from growing by any significant measure. AI is a vital tool, and it will only grow more effective with time, which makes it impossible to ignore its utility in the workplace.
Should You Help Your Employees Distance Themselves from AI-Generated Workslop?
The answer is a resounding “Yes!” Instead of allowing employees to use AI indiscriminately, it might be a good idea to provide them with training on how to utilize this technology effectively, and encourage workers to highlight which parts of their work are AI-driven.
Over time, this will make it easier to identify where the AI workslop is affecting productivity and quality. Once identified, taking action to set matters straight becomes a lot easier. Sloppy work is not a new concept within the workplace, but AI has made it easier for more employees to fall back on sloppy work rather than put their minds to creating something better. Don’t let your employees become complacent, but instead encourage them to become critical thinkers who can improve what they do with AI.
Has AI workslop affected the productivity and performance of your organization? Let us know. Subscribe to The HR Digest for more insights on workplace trends, layoffs, and what to expect with the advent of AI.