AI-Generated 'Workslop' Costs Companies $9 Million Annually as Employees Waste Hours on Polished But Hollow Content

Companies lose over $9 million annually as employees waste nearly 2 hours per incident dealing with 'workslop' - polished but hollow AI-generated content that 40% of workers encounter monthly, prompting urgent calls for clearer workplace AI guidelines.

• Researchers identify 'workslop' - AI-generated content that appears polished but lacks substance - as a major cause of workplace productivity loss, with 40% of employees reporting receiving such content in the past month
• Companies face significant financial costs from workslop incidents, with employees spending nearly 2 hours dealing with each instance, resulting in an estimated $186 monthly tax per worker and over $9 million annually for organizations with 10,000 employees
• Leaders must establish clear AI usage guidelines, promote thoughtful application over indiscriminate mandates, and foster 'pilot' mindsets that use AI purposefully to enhance creativity rather than avoid work responsibilities