A growing trend in workplaces is raising concerns about the quality of AI-generated content. Dubbed “workslop,” this phenomenon refers to AI output that superficially appears acceptable but lacks depth and substance. Researchers from Stanford University and consulting firm BetterUp Labs coined the term to describe how reliance on generative AI tools can result in work that fails to meaningfully advance tasks.
This issue has prompted the formation of Enhanced Labs, a start-up based in Brisbane. The company recently secured $2.3 million in funding from investment firms Blackbird and QIC Ventures to develop tools aimed at reducing the prevalence of workslop in the workplace. Valued at $12 million, Enhanced Labs was founded in February by former Amazon engineer Haziq Nordin, former Google designer Jesse Head, and Mike Keating, who previously founded recruiting software start-up Attract.ai.
Enhanced Labs is developing a voice-based platform designed to engage users in dialogue, asking follow-up questions to help refine their ideas into coherent documents suitable for sharing with colleagues. Keating describes the platform as an experience that mimics a conversation with a trusted colleague, emphasizing the importance of critical thinking rather than simply providing answers.
“I’m yapping constantly,” Keating shared. He explained how he often paces in his backyard, engaging with the platform to articulate his thoughts in a spontaneous manner. “The app asks questions back to help shape or challenge my thinking,” he added.
The need for such a tool has become urgent as managers increasingly grapple with the fallout from workslop. According to the research conducted by Stanford and BetterUp Labs, about 40 percent of 1,150 surveyed full-time employees in the United States reported encountering workslop within the last month. On average, each instance cost them nearly two hours to address, leading to an estimated annual productivity loss of $9 million for a company with 10,000 employees.
Keating noted the challenges of making decisions when team members rely on AI-generated work rather than contributing their own ideas. “People are trying to pass off workslop as their own work,” he stated. “But it’s really hard to move fast and to make decisions when the people in the meeting making the decisions didn’t actually come up with the idea.”
The platform’s first prototype is currently being trialed by tech employees at notable companies such as Canva, Amazon, and Microsoft. Michael Tolo, a partner at Blackbird who led the investment in Enhanced Labs, expressed optimism about the platform’s potential. He remarked on the challenges posed by existing AI tools, noting, “While they make first drafts faster, they actually slow down the most important work: uncovering key insights and communicating them clearly to improve decision-making.”
The concept of workslop highlights a significant shift in workplace dynamics as employees increasingly rely on AI tools for tasks traditionally performed by humans. As one survey participant shared, receiving AI-generated content creates dilemmas about whether to rewrite it, request a colleague to do so, or simply accept it as sufficient. This reliance on AI could contribute to a culture of complacency, raising concerns about critical thinking and independent problem-solving skills.
Enhanced Labs aims to address these pressing issues head-on, pointing to a future where AI tools enhance rather than undermine the quality of work produced in offices worldwide.
