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AI is making a mess of how humans interact at work

Cnbc · · 1996 words · By Jennifer Liu
Job insecurity and economic anxiety AI-induced workplace friction Erosion of human connection
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What to know about Job insecurity and economic anxiety

Somewhere in Chicago, one 40-year-old project director spent her summer wondering if she's been working with a human or a bot.

Claims checked 11
Techniques found 2
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Somewhere in Chicago, one 40-year-old project director spent her summer wondering if she's been working with a human or a bot.

Why it matters

She was recently put on a project with an artificial intelligence expert who started using AI agents to manage his inbox.

Common ground

But in the course of their partnership, the bots began filtering out important emails and texts, leading to delays delivering on promises to their client and no other way to reach him, the project director tells CNBC Make It.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/20/gatekeeping-bots-piles-of-slop-welcome-to-the-ag…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 4
check_circle Corroborated 3
help Insufficient Evidence 2
schedule Pending 1
cancel Disputed 1
schedule
Claim 1: “About half of employees in workplaces that adopted AI say the culture has changed in the last year, and they're pretty evenly split among those saying it has worsened to some degree (25%) or improved (24%), according to a February Gallup survey of 23,717 people”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
check_circle
Claim 2: “A May report from the tech research firm Gartner found businesses that laid off workers in favor of AI spending did not see a return on investment”
CORROBORATED
Two independent search results confirm a May study by Gartner finding that businesses replacing workers with AI agents struggled to achieve a positive return on investment.
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web search NEUTRAL — A May study conducted by technology research firm Gartner found that businesses replacing workers with AI agents often struggle to achieve a positive return on investment.
https://onedaily.com/tech/investors-questioning-big-techs-ma…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Gartner survey found that execs who slashed staff to invest in AI have seen the same financial gains as those who held onto their employees. In othe words, attempting to replace workers with AI is…
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/layoffs-ai-auto…
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web search NEUTRAL — Gartner provides actionable insights, guidance, and tools that enable faster, smarter decisions and stronger performance on an organization’s mission-critical priorities.
https://www.gartner.com/
info
Claim 3: “Roughly 1 in 5 workers say it makes them feel like their job is less secure, and some 1 in 3 are more pessimistic about the current job market because of it, according to the CNBC survey”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided discusses general pessimism about the economy and entry-level job disruption, but does not provide the specific percentages (1 in 5 and 1 in 3) attributed to the CNBC survey regarding job security and pessimism.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A new Gallup poll of 141 countries shows U.S. workers are more pessimistic about jobs than anyone — even as BLS hiring data points to a frozen, not falling, market.
https://www.metaintro.com/blog/american-workers-most-pessimi…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Entry-level jobs are typically considered more likely to be disrupted or replaced by AI. Nearly one-third of employers say AI has raised the experience requirements for their entry-level roles, accord…
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/20/workers-cant-agree-if-junior…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A recent CNBC survey found that 61% of registered voters are pessimistic about the current economy and its near-future picture—the survey’s most negative outcome since late 2023. Only 25% of responden…
https://www.fastcompany.com/91578691/layoffs-just-hit-a-57-y…
info
Claim 4: “People were perceived as lazier and less likely to be put up for big projects if they said they used AI in their work, according to one Atlassian experiment involving 1,000 U.S. workers”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of Microsoft support documents and Windows ISO downloads, which are entirely unrelated to an Atlassian experiment on AI perception.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mar 31, 2026 · Microsoft has officially removed the SaRA utility from all in-support versions of Windows updates released on and after March 10, 2026. Can I reuse SaRA scripts with the Get Help comman…
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/servicing/os/windows/doc…
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web search NEUTRAL — Microsoft hält immer ein Auge auf ungewöhnliche Anmeldeaktivitäten, nur für den Fall, dass jemand anderes versucht, auf Ihr Konto zuzugreifen. Wenn Sie an einen neuen Ort reisen oder ein neues Gerät v…
https://support.microsoft.com/de-de/accounts-billing/manage/…
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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 17, 2025 · Microsoft only hosts the latest of Windows 11 ISO on its website. Currently, it is Windows 11 24H2. For downloading Windows 11 23H2 ISO, you can use the UUP Dump, a free and community-m…
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/discussions/windows11/wh…
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Claim 5: “Since generative AI burst onto the scene in 2022 with the public launch of ChatGPT”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including EuroNews and OpenAI's own announcement, confirm that ChatGPT was launched in November 2022.
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web search NEUTRAL — Use ChatGPT to answer questions, write, create images, complete work, and code—all in one place. Get started for free or download the app.
https://chatgpt.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Use ChatGPT to answer questions, write, create images, complete work, and code—all in one place. Get started for free or download the app.
https://chatgpt.com/features
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web search NEUTRAL — Nov 30, 2022 · ChatGPT has evolved substantially since then. We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way. The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer f…
https://openai.com/index/chatgpt/
+ 1 more evidence source
help
Claim 6: “When leaders use AI as a substitute for developmental conversations... workers' desire to quit increases by 29%, burnout rises by 26%, and team coordination drops by 12%, according to research conducted by BetterUp Labs, Stanford Social Media Lab and Saïd Business School at Oxford University that was released in April”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.
info
Claim 7: “a majority, 84%, of people say they're self-taught with no formal training in AI, and 55% say their workplace doesn't have an official AI policy, per the survey of 1,686 workers”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results provided for this claim are irrelevant (dictionary definitions, a survey about loneliness, and a YouTube video about cheese/apples). No evidence was found to confirm the 84% self-taught or 55% policy figures.
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of SELF-TAUGHT is having knowledge or skills acquired by one's own efforts without formal instruction. How to use self-taught in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-taught
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A MOO survey found 84% of employees urged to use AI feel lonely at work, and a four-country study links heavy AI use to insomnia, drinking and isolation.
https://www.metaintro.com/blog/ai-work-faster-lonelier-workp…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A survey shows that 63 % of the Americans like cheese whereas 76 % like apples.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mMpTVBy4yw
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Claim 8: “Some 40% of U.S. desk workers said they received workslop, or AI-generated content that looked good but lacked substance... according to research from BetterUp and the Stanford Social Media Lab conducted in September 2025”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (BetterUp Labs and a report mentioning MIT Media Lab) confirm the concept of 'workslop' as AI-generated content lacking substance and specifically cite the 40% figure for employee frustration/receipt of such content.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Research from BetterUp Labs and Stanford Social Media Lab uncovers how AI-generated “slop” masquerades as productivity. Workslop is AI-generated content that looks good, but lacks substance.
https://www.betterup.com/workslop
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web search NEUTRAL — AI “workslop” — unhelpful, low-quality AI-generated content — is quietly draining productivity and trust at work. New research from BetterUp and Stanford reveals its hidden costs and how leaders can s…
https://www.betterup.com/blog/hidden-costs-workslop
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web search NEUTRAL — "A recent MIT Media Lab report found that 95% of organizations see no measurable return on their AI investments. Workslop helps explain why. When employees use AI to create low-effort output that shif…
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/steveking2_ai-workslop-is-eme…
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Claim 9: “roughly half of workers say they use AI anywhere from once a week up to multiple times per day, according to the CNBC and SurveyMonkey Quarterly AI and Jobs Survey published Thursday”
DISPUTED
While a CNBC/SurveyMonkey survey exists, the provided evidence from 'Metaintro' explicitly contradicts the claim, stating the majority of workers (55-64%) never use AI and only 9-14% use it multiple times per day, which contradicts the 'roughly half' claim.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — CNBC and SurveyMonkey Q3 2026 Quarterly AI & Jobs Survey.When it comes to AI usage for junior-level workers, opinions are split between whether they should be prohibited from using AI, or using AI wit…
https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/cnbc-ai-work-survey-a…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — A: According to the 2026 CNBC/SurveyMonkey Women at Work survey, the majority of workers — between 55% and 64% depending on demographic — say they never use AI at work. Only about 9% to 14% of workers…
https://www.metaintro.com/blog/workers-skeptical-about-ai-da…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The CNBC and SurveyMonkey Q3 2026 Quarterly AI & Jobs Survey reveals that a significant majority of employees, 62%, express optimism about AI’s potential to enhance productivity in the workplace.
https://smallbiztrends.com/cnbc-and-surveymonkey-release-ins…
info
Claim 10: “an often-cited 2025 report from Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers found that 95% of organizations saw zero return on their $30 billion to $40 billion investment into generative AI”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of casino reviews and slot machine promotions, which are completely irrelevant to an MIT report on AI investment.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Load up on the fun for free in our free-to-play social casino, no purchase necessary! Always free-to-play jackpots, tournaments, in-game missions, spin the daily wheel, claim your daily bonus, enjoy b…
https://www.stackrcasino.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Discover top online slots at Stackr Casino, featuring slot games from Pragmatic Play and NoLimit City. Learn why titles like Sweet Bonanza and Wolf Gold stand out, how to play slots online effectively…
https://stackr-casino.com/games.html
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web search NEUTRAL — 3 days ago · Stackr Casino features a solid range of slots from two prominent software providers, Betsoft and Hacksaw Gaming. There are also arcade games and online scratchers.
https://www.gamingtoday.com/sweepstakes-casinos/stackr-casin…
help
Claim 11: “Roughly 1 in 4 workers who use AI have redirected a colleague to ask AI before coming to them, according to the CNBC survey”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found after searching for this specific claim.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.