If you’re like me, you’ve seen AI slop rapidly take over the workplace. But it doesn’t have to be this way (and shouldn’t be).
The primary concerns companies have with AI tools are compliance and security. What tools are approved, what data must be kept secure, who can access and administer, etc. These are important concerns. But the more pressing issue now isn’t using the right tool; it’s using the tool in a way that doesn’t create bullshit for everyone else to deal with.
There is a difference between offloading and outsourcing (see my previous post on The Generation Effect). Nobody in your office is making this distinction explicit, which is why so much AI-assisted work at the office feels the same: fine at first glance, but ultimately forgettable and hard to trust.
Offloading vs. Outsourcing
Cognitive offloading is a well-studied behavior. It’s when we use external tools to reduce the mental load so we can focus attention on more valuable things. We use calculators, take pictures of things we want to remember, and jot down notes about meetings so we can recall what we discussed. The tools take on some of the cognitive load so we can do more of the thinking.
Outsourcing is different. We’re not just reducing the mental load; we’re transferring ownership. The task gets done, but the thinking we used to own now happens elsewhere. We just get the output without having to do the work.
AI collapses the distance between thinking and output to a single click, which is the problem. A calculator can’t (and shouldn’t) decide on the pricing strategy. AI can produce something that looks like your finished idea, whether or not any of the actual thinking occurred. The tool no longer forces a distinction between output and judgement. Those who previously lacked the skills (or judgement) can now produce the same outputs previously reserved for their more skilled peers.
This is an important gap opening in offices now. It’s not about who is using AI versus who isn’t. The more important distinction is between who is using AI without judgement, and who is using it with judgement.
Three Tests for Which Side You’re On
It’s easy to say “offload, don’t outsource,” but it can often be hard to feel the difference in the moment. So here are some practical tests to apply.
