Why humans create AI “workslops” – and how to stop them

With the advent of genetic AI tools, offices are having to contend with a new scourge: “workslop,” or low-effort AI-generated work that looks plausibly sophisticated but ends up wasting time and effort by offloading cognitive work onto the recipient. Workslop can have a corrosive effect on office dynamics. But why do people create it and send it to their colleagues, especially when it can make bosses, colleagues and subordinates think less of them? New research suggests that the recipe for Workslop is surprisingly simple and controlled by management: it’s the result of unclear AI mandates and overwhelmed teams. Managers give their employees vague instructions to start using extremely powerful tools, while many of these employees are overloaded, mentally exhausted, and working in environments where it doesn’t feel safe to admit uncertainty or ask for help. To address this issue, the pressures at both the top and bottom of organizations must first be understood.