Knowledge workers are secretly yearning for the days before AI entered the mix, with three-in-ten saying they preferred work before adoption of the technology.
In a survey of office workers by digital transformation firm Adaptavist, 65% said they preferred the pre-AI era and 38% would remove generative AI tools from the world entirely if they had the chance.
Younger workers in particular are among those most frustrated by AI, with 40% of Gen Z and Millennials saying they would scrap generative AI tools, compared with 32% of Gen X and 29% of Boomers.
The findings mark a shift in feelings about AI, the researchers said. While businesses continue to invest heavily in the technology, public concern is growing over its impact on jobs, workplace surveillance, privacy, and security.
Meanwhile, AI has introduced new pressures for workers, eroded the value of skilled work, and left employees feeling less engaged and less valued than before.
"These findings point to an underlying gap we see in most AI implementations," said Neal Riley, AI innovation lead at Adaptavist.
"It is much easier for organizations to focus on adoption metrics – who is using AI, how often they are using it – than it is to measure its impact on the work itself."
Just over three-in-ten (31%) of the workers who said they'd like to get rid of AI said it was because they believed it reduces creativity. Almost as many had ethical doubts, with 29% citing concerns over misuse and 28% worrying about surveillance and privacy.
‘AI slop’ is a leading frustration
Notably, nearly half (46%) said that dealing with low-quality 'AI slop' makes their job feel less meaningful and more repetitive. More than one-third (37%), for example, admitted it has made them less engaged at work overall.
It's not as if workers are seeing the big efficiency benefits often associated with AI, the study found. More than four-in-ten (42%) now spend more time verifying and fact-checking AI output than they actually save by using it.
Almost half said that poor quality AI-generated work is actively slowing down their projects, while 55% believe it is reducing overall team efficiency.
The findings from Adaptavist align with recent research from ISC2, which found nearly two-thirds (65%) of cyber professionals are spending more time deciding whether to trust or act on AI-generated recommendations.
A similar number (63%) said they now find themselves reviewing and validating AI outputs, creating larger workloads and essentially wasting time on a daily basis.
‘AI slop’ has become a recurring buzzword over the last 18 months. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella penned a blog post in January this year calling on the industry to disregard the term.
Yet research shows this is having a direct impact on workplace efficiency and productivity. As ITPro reported in January, analysis from Zapier found employees are working an extra four and a half hours each week cleaning up mistakes.
The consequences of not acting on low quality AI-generated outputs can be grave, the study noted. Respondents reported having had work rejected due to poor AI outputs, while others highlighted customer complaints and even security incidents.
AI is adding pressure
Workers are also feeling pressured, with half believing that their performance is now being compared – fairly or not – to AI-generated output.
Around a quarter are facing intense pressure to improve performance, improve quality, and be more efficient, just to keep pace in a machine-accelerated environment.
Another quarter said they use AI simply to meet workload demands, and 23% rely on the technology to keep up with colleagues.
"By understanding the nature of the work and the different value streams across your business, you can more accurately measure outcomes and impact rather than simply counting actions," said Riley.
"When AI is introduced thoughtfully, with the right guardrails and genuine support for the people using it, it can enhance rather than erode what makes work meaningful and impactful."
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