40% of US Employees Report Generating Workslop AI Content

A Harvard Business Review study found that over 40% of US employees receive AI-generated “workslop” content that looks polished but fails to advance real work, draining productivity. Despite AI’s hype, research from McKinsey, MIT, and KPMG shows limited business impact, widespread distrust, and high project failure rates. Columnist Gene Marks argues the fault lies not with AI itself but with employers who adopt it without proper training, policies, or planning. Many companies lack prompt engineering skills, standardized tools, or metrics for success. Marks contends that AI is merely a tool, and productivity losses stem from poor leadership and unrealistic expectations. The “buck,” he says, stops with bosses who fail to invest in people as much as in technology.

The Guardian, Gene Marks – AI tools churn out ‘workslop’ for many US employees, but ‘the buck’ should stop with the boss – 12th October 2025