Workslop and the Optimization Trap: AI, Vapor Work, and the Authenticity Gap

This working paper examines “workslop,” a term used to describe AI-assisted output that appears polished while lacking substantive advancement. Drawing on cultural and organizational analysis, the paper situates workslop within the Optimization Trap, where efficiency gains and metric pressure reshape how value and authenticity are perceived.The analysis frames vapor work and the authenticity gap as signals of broader shifts in how meaning, effort, and credibility are mediated in contemporary knowledge work. The paper is presented as a descriptive cultural analysis rather than a prescriptive or evaluative claim.