Companies are pushing back against AI-generated workplace ‘slop’

Volberg had introduced an enterprise Claude subscription at the 10-person company. Her policy now allows AI for brainstorming and developing ideas, but asks employees to use their own voices in internal communications: “If you wouldn't say it that way in person, email, or Slack — don't send it.” She says creative thinking and workplace relationships returned after the request.

The problem has a name. Researchers at Stanford Social Media Lab and workplace coaching company BetterUp Labs coined “workslop” for verbose, low-quality AI-generated work passed between colleagues. BetterUp Labs chief scientist Kate Niederhoffer says the behavior reflects workplace conditions as much as individual choices. Pressure to demonstrate AI use, unclear guidance and heavier workloads can all contribute, she says. In the team’s initial research, published last fall, more than half of respondents admitted to sending work they considered unhelpful or low quality.

Some companies are trying to set limits without banning AI. Clay co-founder Varun Anand shared a writing policy in August asking employees to stand behind every sentence and reminding them that writing can be part of thinking. Spellbook CEO Scott Stevenson told staff he would prefer five rough bullet points over five polished pages, and said customer communications should be “hand-written.” ZocDoc’s August guidance urges employees to avoid shipping “slop,” be transparent about bot-to-human interactions and preserve original ideas.

Other employers have imposed firmer consequences. Eric Fischgrund, head of FischTank PR, says AI is banned for material sent to reporters or clients and that he fired an employee after repeated violations. ZocDoc’s chief communications officer, Jessica Aptman, describes the company’s approach as less punitive: she says employees who outsource their judgment and creativity risk losing trust and influence. Niederhoffer argues that employers also need cultures where workers feel safe discussing how AI should change their work.