The Hidden Causes of AI Workslop—and How to Fix Them artwork
HBR IdeaCast

The Hidden Causes of AI Workslop—and How to Fix Them

Mar 10, 2026 · 28 min

As organizations and their employees ramp up their generative AI experimentation, leaders are facing a new problem: the rise of AI-generated "workslop," which seems okay on the surface but doesn't actually pass muster and, when passed on to colleagues, ultimately hurts team efficiency, performance, trust and morale. Kate Niederhoffer, chief scientist at BetterUp, and Jeff Hancock, professor of co…