"As AI tools have proliferated in workplaces and pressure to use them has mounted, employees have had to contend with the scourge of workslop, or low-effort, AI-generated work that looks plausibly polished, but ends up wasting time and effort as it offloads cognitive work onto the recipient. For the person on the receiving end, it can be a confusing and infuriating experience."
"Kate Niederhoffer is VP of BetterUp Labs and a social psychologist. Her research explores the role of AI in workplace adoption, human development, and interpersonal communication. Jeffrey T. Hancock is the Harry and Norman Chandler Professor of Communication at Stanford University. He is also the Founding Director of the Stanford Social Media Lab and Director of the Cyber Policy Center at Stanford. His research focuses on psychological aspects of technology use, including AI and social media."
AI tool proliferation and mounting pressure to use them have produced workslop—low-effort, AI-generated outputs that appear plausibly polished but offload cognitive labor onto recipients. Recipients often face wasted time, confusion, and frustration when asked to interpret or fix these outputs. The phenomenon undermines effective communication and productivity in workplaces. Research attention focuses on how AI affects workplace adoption, human development, and interpersonal communication. Additional scholarship examines psychological aspects of technology use, including AI and social media, to understand impacts on behavior, cognition, and organizational practices.
Read at Harvard Business Review
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