According to Fast Company, AI tools that were supposed to automate tedious tasks and free up creative time are instead fueling cognitive decline and burnout across workplaces. Managers now expect teams to produce more work in less time after seeing AI complete tasks in two hours instead of two weeks, but they don’t understand the extensive editing and reviewing process required. This creates “workflation” – adding more tasks to already overloaded plates as workers must constantly adjust, edit, and review AI’s error-prone output. Carey Bentley, CEO of productivity coaching company Lifehack Method, notes this leads to “work slop” and poor quality output, especially when junior team members lack expertise to audit AI results, potentially causing multimillion-dollar errors. The percentage of companies using AI in at least one business function keeps rising annually, with marketing being one of the most popular applications, though many brands now flood social media with formulaic, off-putting content that sacrifices creativity for speed.
The workflation nobody predicted
Here’s the thing about AI in the workplace: it’s creating this weird paradox where everything looks faster on the surface but actually takes more effort behind the scenes. Managers see the finished product and think “Wow, that was quick!” without realizing their team just spent three hours fixing AI hallucinations and factual errors. AI’s tendency to confidently state complete nonsense means you can’t trust anything it produces without thorough human review.
And that’s the core of the problem – we’ve added another layer of work instead of removing one. You’re not just doing the task anymore, you’re managing an unreliable assistant who needs constant supervision. It’s like having an intern who’s brilliant but also makes up facts and needs their work completely rewritten. So much for that promised efficiency boost.
When speed kills quality
Now we’re seeing this play out in marketing departments everywhere. Brands are pumping out generic AI content that nobody wants to engage with because it lacks emotional connection. They’re prioritizing volume over quality, and customers can tell. The content feels sterile, formulaic – like it was written by committee rather than by someone who actually understands human emotions.
But here’s the real question: when everyone uses the same AI tools to create content, how does anyone stand out? You end up with this sea of sameness where every company sounds identical. The very differentiation that marketing exists to create gets sacrificed at the altar of speed. McKinsey’s AI research shows adoption is skyrocketing, but are we measuring the right outcomes?
The burnout accelerator
Basically, AI has become this expectations accelerator. Managers know what the technology is capable of in theory, so they ramp up pressure to produce more, faster. But quality work still requires human judgment, expertise, and – here’s the kicker – time to think. You can’t rush creative problem-solving or strategic thinking, no matter how many AI tools you throw at it.
Upwork’s research confirms what many workers already feel – workloads are increasing despite all this AI investment. We’re working harder to manage the tools that were supposed to make work easier. It’s the ultimate irony of our AI moment: the technology meant to reduce cognitive load is actually increasing it through constant context-switching and error-correction.
Where this is all heading
I think we’re at a crossroads with workplace AI. Either we figure out how to integrate these tools in ways that actually reduce workload, or we create a generation of burned-out knowledge workers who spend their days cleaning up AI’s messes. The solution isn’t less AI – it’s smarter implementation.
Companies need to stop treating AI as a magic productivity button and start seeing it as a tool that requires training, oversight, and realistic expectations. And workers need the space to develop the critical thinking skills to properly evaluate AI output. Otherwise, we’re just building a faster path to mediocrity – and burnout.
