The “AI Return on Investment” Problem and the Rise of “Workslop”

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been marketed as the next big productivity revolution. From automating workflows to generating content, companies across industries have been pouring billions into AI adoption. But recent studies — including research from MIT and BetterUp Labs — reveal a surprising truth: up to 95% of organizations report little to no measurable return on their AI investments. So, what went wrong? The answer might lie in a new term making the rounds: “workslop.” What Is “Workslop”? “Workslop” d escribes the flood of low-quality, AI-generated content that looks finished but actually isn’t. On the surface, it seems polished — a report, an email draft, a piece of code, or even a presentation. But once you dig in, the cracks show: Missing context. Shallow insights. Hallucinated facts. A lack of originality or human nuance. Instead of saving time, “workslop” forces employees to spend hours correcting, rewriting, or completely redoing the AI’s output...