Almost half of workers are redoing work produced incorrectly by colleagues using AI tools, losing an average of six hours and 57 minutes a week, according to new research.
The study, commissioned by Arden University, found that 46% of workers are correcting mistakes made by others using AI, amounting to nearly a full working day lost each week. Two in ten people say they completely redo the 'AI slop' produced by other employees.
AI Use and Correction Habits
The survey of 2,000 working adults also revealed that half of those correcting colleagues' AI work used AI to help fix the issues. Nearly two thirds of workers admitted to using AI in the past three months, most commonly to look up information, write emails, or come up with ideas.
Workers said AI helped them finish tasks faster, and a quarter of employees said it contributed to their understanding of a difficult subject.
Generational Differences and Transparency
Younger generations are most likely to turn to AI, with 73% of Gen Z and 72% of Millennials using ChatGPT, Claude, or similar tools, compared to 56% of Gen Xers. Despite the rise in AI use in the workplace, more than half (53%) of employees do not tell their boss about their AI use at work.
Vitaly Klopot, chief innovation and commercial officer at Arden University, said employers need to 'consider the effect' of AI on the 'whole team'. He said: "Getting an answer from a chatbot is only the starting point. The opportunity goes beyond producing more emails and documents."
He added: "It's about solving problems, improving work and building reliable processes for everyday tasks. A quick draft may save one person time but if a colleague spends hours correcting it, employers need to consider the effect on the whole team." Klopot also said practical education can help workers move beyond trial and error, noting that most users already report saving time and the next step is helping more people get useful results confidently and responsibly.
