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New Research: AI “Workslop” Costs Millions
AI’s 'sloppy' side, Google’s latest cuts, and a global STEM talent surge, plus two tools to keep you ahead of the pack.
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AI “workslop” is tanking productivity, wallets, (and reputations), Google’s trimming 50 UX and PM roles in Sunnyvale, and global talent is flooding U.S. STEM jobs like never before. Power up with ResumeCo and Wellfound, then hit Slack community to trade notes.
🧑✈️ Career CoPilot: New Research: AI “Workslop” Wastes Time, Erodes Trust, and Costs Millions
📉 Layoff Report: Google cuts 50 UX, SWE, and PM jobs at Sunnyvale campus
📈 Trends & Data: Global Talent Is Flooding STEM Apps. Can You Out-apply Them?
🔧 Jobseeker Tools: ResumeCo, Wellfound Jobs
Google cuts 50 UX, SWE, and PM jobs at Sunnyvale campus
In Google’s notice that it filed with the state, the jobs affected by the cuts included roles in user experience, software engineers and business program managers.
“AI is pretty good at coding right now and anything to do with design … as long as someone can describe what it is they want, that significantly increases the productivity of the folks you have in design,” Enderle said. “Unless you’re increasing the workload just as dramatically, you’re going to have too many people.”
Source: TrueUp
New Research: AI “Workslop” Wastes Time, Erodes Trust, and Costs Millions
“Workslop” = AI content that looks finished but lacks substance or accuracy. It increases downstream rework and reputational risk.
Overview
AI-generated “workslop” looks polished but doesn’t move work forward. 40% of U.S. desk workers saw it in the last month, according to BetterUp Labs with Stanford’s Social Media Lab.
The Details
40% of U.S. desk workers encountered AI workslop in the past month.
Cleanup costs average two hours per incident and $186 per employee per month.
That’s roughly $9M/year at a 10,000-person company.
Recipients view senders as less creative, capable, and reliable; trust drops.
Many firms see no measurable ROI from gen-AI; 95% report zero P&L impact.
Leaders pushing “AI everywhere” without guardrails fuel sloppy outputs and rework.
Why It Matters
Workslop shifts effort downstream. That kills true productivity and reputation. With AI budgets under scrutiny after MIT’s 95% no-ROI finding, teams that prove quality + speed will win headcount and promotions.
PMs/Leads: Define “done” for AI-assisted work. Gate client-facing content behind human review.
ICs: Your name is the brand. Low-effort AI erodes trust fast.
Executives: Fund AI literacy and governance or watch ROI stall.
What's the best quick fix for AI workslop? |
Global Talent Is Flooding STEM Apps. Can You Out-apply Them?
Overview
Internationally mobile workers are punching above their weight in U.S. STEM hiring, despite a tech cooldown, according to.
“Internationally mobile” here means U.S.-based job seekers with at least one foreign work experience on their latest resume. Methodology uses Indeed applications started, deduped per role.
The Details
5.1% of U.S. job seekers are internationally mobile.
Mobile workers were ~37% of Data & Analytics applicants in Q2 2025; 31.6% in Software Dev; 27.4% in Industrial Engineering.
In Software Dev, mobile applicants started 12.8 applications vs 5.8 for non-mobile. Data & Analytics shows a similar gap.
Biggest YoY gains (Q2’24 → Q2’25) in mobile share: Civil Eng (~+10 pp), Data & Analytics (~+7 pp), Software Dev (>+5 pp).
Mobile workers skew more educated: higher rates of bachelor’s, master’s, PhD vs non-mobile peers.
This is part 3 of a series. Part 1: global interest fell in late 2024; Part 2: visa-sponsor jobs spiked in medical fields.
Why It Matters
Competition for U.S. STEM roles is fierce and global. More internationally mobile candidates are applying, and they’re applying more per person. Expect higher applicant volumes, faster application cycles, and stronger credential signals.
Engineers & Data pros: Hiring funnels are crowded. Precision targeting and proof of impact matter more.
Design/PM: STEM-adjacent roles may see spillover as mobile candidates cast wider nets.
New grads (any STEM): Masters/PhDs are common among mobile applicants. Show differentiated projects and outcomes.
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