Surviving AI: Navigating workload creep, AI slop, and the new tech career playbook
After more than 30 years the cybersecurity field, Keith Jones recently realized that his role had changed, from being a single contributor to manager of a fairly large team. And this team was getting a lot accomplished — tasks that used to take up a huge chunk of his workday. No, his company hadn’t hired a group of new employees to work under him. He simply accelerated his use of artificial…
After 30 years in the cybersecurity field, Keith Jones discovered that his role had evolved from being a sole contributor to managing a larger team. This team was accomplishing tasks efficiently by leveraging artificial intelligence tools like Claude from Anthropic. Jones now uses AI to handle low-level tasks, freeing him to focus on higher-level work.
Across the technology industry, many professionals are grappling with how to effectively work with AI. While AI boosts productivity and automates repetitive tasks, it also introduces new levels of stress and mental exhaustion. Industry experts suggest specific strategies to manage these burdens.
One major concern is AI workslop, which refers to low-quality, generic output from large language models (LLMs). These outputs can include bloated, boilerplate code and inaccurate information that may lead to software bugs or liabilities. To combat this, users should ask AI to show its work, cite sources, and provide reasoning. Providing AI with a source of truth, such as specific reports or data sheets, can also help generate more accurate outputs. Always validate AI-generated content and avoid accepting it without review.
The use of AI also creates a new type of workload known as AI-driven workload creep. While AI can save time by automating repetitive tasks, it often results in overproduced work that may not be of higher quality. A study by Upwork found that 77% of employees reported increased workload due to AI, with 88% of top performers feeling burned out.
To manage this, users should keep AI responses concise, build an anti-slop culture by filtering out unnecessary information, prioritize tasks effectively, and manage the deluge of AI-generated transcripts by asking for concise summaries.
By adopting these strategies, tech workers can better navigate the challenges posed by AI and maintain their productivity without sacrificing their mental well-being.
Written by urgent.news from Computerworld's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
