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‘Workslop’: The Hidden Costs of AI-Generated Content burdening workers and Eroding Trust
WASHINGTON D.C. – A growing phenomenon dubbed “workslop” – the practice of using AI to generate and pass off incomplete or poorly contextualized work to colleagues – is costing U.S. companies millions annually and contributing to employee burnout, according to new research from Stanford Social Media Lab and Betterup Labs.The study, released this week, reveals that 40 percent of professional workers in the United States have received AI-generated content requiring significant revision or rewriting in the past month.
Unlike earlier fears of AI replacing human workers, “workslop” signifies a shift where AI is used to offload work – and the associated cognitive burden - onto others. While AI-generated documents often appear polished initially, they frequently lack crucial context, requiring colleagues to spend valuable time deciphering their true purpose and correcting inaccuracies. Researchers estimate each instance of “workslop” consumes one to two hours to repair, possibly costing companies with 10,000 employees over $9 million per year.
The study highlights two key consequences: wasted work time spent verifying facts and a decline in decision-making quality due to reliance on shallow or biased data. Beyond productivity losses, “workslop” is also linked to increased mental fatigue, with one in three respondents expressing reluctance to collaborate with colleagues who frequently share such content. This erosion of trust damages teamwork and weakens overall work ethic.
