The Rise of AI Workslop: What It Means and How to Respond

AI was supposed to make us more productive. Instead, we’re quickly discovering it’s creating “workslop,” junk output that looks like progress but actually drags organizations down.

In this episode of Future-Focused, I dig into the rise of AI workslop, a term Harvard Business Review recently put a name to and why it’s more than a workplace annoyance. Workslop is lowering the bar for performance, amplifying risk across teams, and creating a hidden financial tax on organizations.

But this isn’t just about spotting the problem. I’ll break down what workslop really means for leaders, why “good enough” is anything but, and most importantly, what you can do right now to push back. From defining clear outcomes to auditing workloads and building accountability, I’ll break down practical steps to stop AI junk from taking over your culture.

If you’re noticing your team is busier than ever but not improving performance or wondering why decisions keep getting made on shaky foundations, this episode will hit home.

If this conversation gave you something valuable, you can support the work I’m doing by buying me a coffee. And if your organization is wrestling with these challenges, this is exactly what I help leaders solve through my consulting and the AI Effectiveness Review. Reach out if you’d like to talk more.

00:00 - Introduction to Work Slop

00:55 - Survey Insights and Statistics

03:06 - Insight 1: Impact on Organizational Performance

06:19 - Insight 2: Amplification of Risk

10:33 - Insight 3: Financial Costs of Work Slop

15:39 – Application 1: Define clear outcomes before you ask

18:45 – Application 2: Audit workloads and rethink productivity

23:15 – Application 3: Build accountability with follow-up questions

29:01 - Conclusion and Call to Action

#AIProductivity #FutureOfWork #Leadership #AIWorkslop #BusinessStrategy