Research
If you think AI is coming for your job, you might start slacking off
Turns out the best way to prepare for AI taking your job is to start acting like you've already lost it. A new WSU study found that workers in fields most likely to get disrupted by artificial intelligence aren't just worried, they're checking out. They showed higher moral disengagement and more counterproductive behavior on the clock. Slacking off, cutting corners, that sort of thing. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy: you think the robot's coming for your gig, so you stop caring, which makes you easier to replace.
I get the instinct. Nobody wants to grind for a job that might vanish. But this study is a cold splash of Palouse water. It suggests the real threat isn't just the tech, it's how we react to it before it even arrives. WSU researchers are basically saying the panic does more damage than the algorithm. That feels true. We've all seen someone check out before the axe falls. Now there's data behind it.
Pullman keeps punching above its weight on this kind of work. Speaking of punching above weight, if you need a break from existential workplace dread, go read about the WSU Volleyball team showing up in Texas and giving the home team a scare. That's the kind of fight we like to see. Go Cougs.
