Waging the War on ‘Workslop’

Most of us by now are familiar with the term “AI Slop,” and have seen it ourselves on social media. I’ve certainly seen it amongst my writing clients. 

When brilliant people– even ones who have written and published books in the past—rely too heavily on an LLM to write for them, they seem to stop using their brains. Their writing lacks personal stories. It lacks soul. It feels… generic.

Well, now companies are getting worried about being invaded by “workslop.” Workslop is AI-generated content that looks professional on the surface yet delivers nothing of substance underneath. Shiny, polished, and utterly hollow.

According to recent research from Stanford and BetterUp Labs, 40% of employees say they've encountered workslop in the past month. That's an average of 15% of all workplace content! What’s even more striking to me is that half of the people surveyed said they view AI-generated work as a sign of lower creativity and reliability, and 42% said it makes colleagues seem less trustworthy.

Why do companies care? Because each instance of workslop evidently costs nearly two hours to fix, draining corporate coffers by an estimated $186 per employee per month. That’s no joke. 

Google's former Chief Decision Scientist Cassie Kozyrkov calls AI “the great thoughtlessness enabler.” Longtime media producer Wesley Edits puts it even more bluntly. “AI is the ultimate lazy person's dream,” he writes.

So, what’s next? Wesley Edits predicts what he calls “the great sorting.” A divide, he says, will arise between workers who use AI to amplify their expertise and those who let it replace their judgment. The first group will become more valuable. The second will become expendable.

This principle applies directly to you, my author friends. If you write from your heart, if you tell personal stories, if you inspire from lived experience and wisdom rather than letting “The Robot” (as we call it our home) do all the work, your writing will rise to the top. If you lean too heavily into ChatGPT, your newsletters, Substacks, and books will blend into the ever-increasing mound of Workslop content. 

AI won’t replace people who still think for themselves. You will stand out by standing strong in your voice. 

Your thoughts matter. Your perspective is unique. Your story is irreplaceable.

Don't let AI turn you into a content factory churning out workslop. Use it as a tool to amplify what only you can say.

Aloha,

MeiMei

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Conduct An AI Audit

This week, try a simple exercise. Before you hit send, publish or post on any AI-assisted content, ask yourself three questions:

1. Does this sound like me? Read it aloud. If you wouldn't say it that way in conversation, rewrite it.
2. Did I add my own insight? AI can organize information, but only you can provide your unique perspective, story, or wisdom.
3. Am I proud to put my name on this? If you're hesitating, dig deeper and add more of yourself.

Remember: AI is a starting point, not a finish line. Your job is to infuse it with the one thing it can never have—your authentic voice, hard-earned wisdom and soul.