Meet ‘trendslop,’ the new, AI-fueled scourge of workplace consultants everywhere

Economists Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington argue that consultants can, at best, give dubious guidance, and at worst, exacerbate government and private sector dysfunction. In their book The Big Con: How the Consulting Industry Weakens Our Businesses, Infantilizes Our Governments, and Warps Our Economies, the economists argue consultants emerged in a post–Ronald Reagan era of reduced regulations, necessitating third parties come in to save institutions who had lost faith in themselves.

Instead of righting the ship, Mazzucato and Collington argued, these consultants created just an “impression of value,” an illusion of helpfulness, and little else, all while the government and private companies burned money to hire them. 

In an era of AI that promises to save companies cash by automating white-collar jobs, the use of chatbots for guidance may be an appealing alternative for firms no longer willing or able to shell out for consultants. But emerging research shows that while you can ask AI what you would a consultant for a fraction of the price, its advice may not be worth taking either. In fact, AI assistance might just present an old problem in a new medium.

A recent study...