UK companies are inadvertently fuelling the rise of so-called “AI slop” by failing to adequately train their staff to use the tools, and also turning a blind eye to many workers who are doing so off their own bat.
That is according to a new analysis of the recent ONS report “Artificial intelligence in UK businesses: 2023 to 2026” by marketing agency Grofu, which reveals the crux of the issue.
It found that while more than half (55%) of Brits are embracing AI at work and one in five do so independently, the vast majority (90%) of companies do not offer adequate training.
Last month, Snapchat joined the likes of YouTube, LinkedIn and Substack in a growing effort to combat fake writing, images and videos created by AI tools, actively suppressing, demonetising, or removing automated posts in favour of “authentic, human-made content”.
The move has been triggered by increasing public distrust, with 81% of consumers claiming they cannot tell real information from fake.
There has also been a 14% increase in the number of people who don’t believe AI will benefit them, rising to 27% compared with November 2023 (13%). That increase has almost entirely come from those who were undecided, and suggests that workplaces are not doing enough to educate on how to use the technology effectively.
The knock-on effect of that is that it is also striking fear for their job as more unrefined AI content floods the Internet. Nearly half (49%) of 30- to 49-year-olds now feel their job could be at risk, while that figure is 47% for 16- to 29-year-olds, despite those generations accounting for the largest proportion (60%) of users.
Grofu managing director Patrick McFadden said: “It’s clear that there is still a misunderstanding of AI in the workplace. Only 7% of businesses have seen a decrease in headcount since implementing the technology, meaning fear is running at seven times the evidence.
“What is evident is that a large amount of the ‘slop’ we find on our screens is down to people not knowing how to use AI effectively and efficiently.
“AI should not be about removing human expertise, but about refining, enhancing and improving workflows so knowledge can be better utilised. The plateauing of people believing it will benefit them falls in line with the slow progress of businesses adopting and training staff.
“If staff are properly trained to use the tools at their disposal, two things happen. The fear drops, because they can finally see where they fit. And the work gets better, because they’re using AI to enhance what they do rather than replace it.”
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