This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.
Maggie Schroeder-O’Neal is a senior principal, analyst in the Gartner HR Practice.
As organizations accelerate AI adoption, a hidden threat is impeding expected productivity gains: “workslop,” or low-quality work generated by or with AI that produces flawed results, adds minimal or negative value, and often requires extra human oversight to correct. In other words, the very tools meant to improve productivity can also drain it.
Often, workslop is a result of employees being pressured by their organization to produce more work faster, leaving no time or autonomy to do proper quality checks. This is a key reason why many organizations are struggling to realize value from their AI investments. In fact, a March 2025 Gartner survey of 137 CFOs revealed that only 10% said their organization has realized financial value from AI.
Combatting the workslop paradox is not about stopping employee laziness and does not require technical solutions. Instead, CHROs have a unique opportunity to reverse the workslop trend by revisiting the strategy for how employees apply AI in their work and how they are incentivized to behave.
